BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 

LAND^LURE 

A    STORY    OF    THE 
COLUMBIA  RIVER  BASIN 


By    ELLIOTT     SMITH 


Author  of 
"THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BOSQUE,"  "HULL  97." 


7920 

PRESS    OF 

SMITH-KINNEY    COMPANY 
TACOMA,  WASH. 


TZ.S 


Copyright,  1920 
By  ELLIOTT  SMITH 


Bancroft  Library 


INDEX  TO  CHAPTERS 


Chapter   1 9 

Chapter   II 20 

Chapter    III 29 

Chapter  IV 37 

Chapter    V v : 42 

Chapter   VI 57 

Chapter  VII 64 

Chapter  VIII * 70 

Chapter  IX 80 

Chapter  X 90 

Chapter  XI 96 

Chapter  XII 104 

Chapter  XIII. 113 

Chapter  XIV 123 

Chapter  XV 136 

Chapter  XVI 149 

Chapter   XVII 163 

Chapter  XVIII 179 

Chapter  XIX    193 

Chapter  XX 206 

Chapter  XXI 223 

Chapter  XXII 236 


DEDICATED 
TO  MARIE  SMITH—HIS  WIFE 

Although  I  was  one  of  those  who  "Tried,  failed  and 
went  away  to  try  and  forget,  if  possible, "  her  unfalter 
ing  faithfulness,  and  endurance,  made  it  possible  for  me 
to  see  and  feel  the  things  that  I  have  written  in  this — 
HER  BOOK.  —ELLIOTT  SMITH. 


The  Land  of  Lure 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  early  March  wind ;  was  blowing  with  its 
usual  force,  and  white  wisps  of  clouds  were  scurry 
ing  across  the  barren  waste  that  lay  between  the 
rough  canyon,  through  which  the  raging  torrents  of 
the  Columbia  River  forced  its  way  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  the  range  of  hills  thirty  miles  farther 
south.  The  clouds  seemed  to  mount  higher,  and  take 
on  greater  speed,  while  crossing  this  scene  of  desola 
tion,  and  graveyard  of  buried  hopes,  as  if  anxious 
to  leave  behind  them  the  glare  of  the  desert  sands, 
and  the  appealing  eyes  of  the  few  unfortunate  home 
steaders,  who  were  compelled  to  remain  on  their 
claims  until  they  had  complied  with  the  demands 
made  by  a  beneficient  Government  before  they  could 
become  sole  owners  of  the  spot  upon  which  many  of 
them  were  now  making  their  last  efforts  for  a 
home  of  their  own. 

The  ever  present  sage  brush  and  tufts  of  scant 
bunch  grass,  dwaft  by  the  ages  of  drouth  and  the 
pitiless  glare  of  the  hot  sun's  rays,  bowed  before 
each  gust  of  the  sand  ladened  wind  and  emitted  weird 
and  unearthly  sounds,  as  if  the  deported  denizens  of 


10  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

the  desert  were  warning  the  white  man  against  the 
hopeless  task  of  trying  to  wrest  from  the  jack  rab 
bit  and  coyote  the  haunts  over  which  they  had  held 
undisputed  sway  for  ages. 

Deserted  shacks,  formerly  the  homes  of  earlier 
settlers,  broken  fences  posts,  with  tangled  strands 
of  barbed  wire,  each  told  their  story  of  a  struggle 
for  existence,  defeat  and  departure,  more  pitiful  than 
all  the  stories  of  Indian  massacres  ever  written. 
Here  was  a  battle  field,  the  opposing  forces  being 
poverty,  courage  and  determination,  arrayed  against 
the  elements. 

Reinforcements,  in  the  way  of  hardy  home 
steaders,  were  being  constantly  drawn  into  this  un 
equal  contest,  armed  with  no  other  weapon  than 
the  ever  abiding  hope  that  nature  would  so  alter 
her  laws  as  to  conform  to  this  particular  locality, 
lured  by  the  sound  of  those  magic  words :  "A  home  of 
your  own,"  were  ready  to  come  into  this  deserted 
territory  and  take  up  the  legacies  of  blasted  hopes, 
equipped  with  new  ideas,  and  seemingly  fortified 
by  the  unfortunate  experiences  of  others  who  had 
made  the  trial,  failed  and  gone  their  way  to  try  and 
forget,  if  possible,  the  ordeal  through  which  they 
had  passed.  Trusting  that  the  touch  of  the  magic 
wand,  in  the  form  of  irrigation,  would  cause  the 
crystal  water  to  flow,  and  convert  the  region  into  a 
garden  of  untold  wealth. 

The  winter  preceding  the  March,  during  which 
our  story  opens,  had  been  an  exceptionally  hard 
one  in  the  Central  and  Middle  Western  states,  floods 
and  other  unfortunate  conditions  having  almost  com- 


ELLIOTT   SMITH  11 

pletely  destroyed  the  crops  and  thereby  entailing  a 
loss  that  was  keenly  felt  throughout  the  region,  and 
causing  a  spirit  of  unrest  among  the  poorer  element; 
a  desire  for  a  chance  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  depen 
dents,  as  wage  earners,  and  to  seek  fields  of  greater 
opportunities.  The  newspapers  and  magazines  were 
filled  with  articles  lauding  the  "Back  to  the  Soil" 
movement,  and  the  country  was  flooded  with  pam 
phlets  and  folders,  in  which  glowing  descriptions 
of  the  opportunities  afforded  the  homeseekers  in  the 
far  Northwest  was  given. 

The  railroads  whose  lines  reached  this  vast  terri 
tory  were  making  special  rates  to  prospective  home 
builders,  and  daily  homeseekers'  excursions  were  be 
ing  run  over  these  routes.  Trains  loaded  with  eager 
tourists,  bound  for  the  land  of  their  dreams,  the 
mecca  of  their  hopes,  the  happy  land  of  somewhere; 
firmly  believing  that  they,  at  least,  had  within  their 
reach  the  goal  for  which  they,  and  many  of  their 
fathers,  had  striven  for  years.  To  some,  and  in  fact 
to  a  great  many,  this  dream  was  to  become  a  reality, 
and  to  those  whose  hardy  constitution  and  indomit 
able  determination  has  made  such  a  transformation 
possible,  is  due  the  development  of  an  Empire  in  the 
far  Northwest. 

It  is  with  one  of  these  tourist  families  that  our 
story  has  to  deal.  Travis  Gully,  a  man  of  middle  age, 
had  been  born  and  reared  in  the  county  of  Cham 
paign,  Illinois,  and  had  lived  but  a  few  miles  from  the 
town  of  that  name,  he  had  seen  it  grow  from  a  small 
village  to  its  present  state  of  importance.  In  the 
neighborhood  where  he  had  lived  he  was  well  known, 


12  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

and  generally  liked.  He  had  taken  but  casual  interest 
in  things  socially,  and  had  mingled  but  little  with  the 
young  people  of  his  set.  He  had  always  worked  as 
a  farmhand,  and  had  acquired  but  little  in  the  way 
of  an  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he 
married  Minnie  Padgitt,  the  daughter  of  a  country 
minister,  and  had  settled  down  to  the  life  of  a  farmer, 
on  a  rented  farm.  At  the  age  of  thirty-eight  he  was 
the  father  of  four  girls  and  one  sturdy  boy,  and  was 
still  renting,  having  made  but  one  change  in  location 
since  his  marriage.  Content  to  toil  for  his  family, 
never  having  had  aroused  in  him  a  desire  for  a  better 
lot  in  life.  The  ambition  for  a  home  of  his  own, 
having  lain  dormant  for  so  long,  it  is  not  surprising 
that,  when  once  awakened,  it  was  all  consuming. 
The  awakening  came  suddenly  during  one  of  his 
regular  weekly  visits  to  town. 

On  this  occasion,  being  attracted  by  a  crowd 
on  the  station  platform,  Gully  wandered  down  to 
ward  the  center  of  excitement,  and  beheld  a  number 
of  his  friends,  shaking  hands  and  bidding  good 
bye  to  others  of  his  acquaintances,  who  he  judged 
from  their  dress  and  excited  appearance,  were  evi 
dently  leaving  on  the  train,  that  had  just  pulled  in 
and  now  stood  with  engine  panting  and  clanging 
bell,  waiting  for  the  signal  to  leave  with  its  long 
string  of  coaches,  the  windows  of  which  were  raised 
on  the  station  side,  regardless  of  the  cold  snow-laden 
March  wind  that  came  in  fitful  gusts  into  the  eager 
faces  that  peered  in  twos  and  threes  from  each  win 
dow.  Faces  that  bore  the  smile  of  comradeship, 
whether  beaming  on  friend  or  stranger.  Some  were 


ELLIOTT   SMITH  13 

an  enigma;  back  of  the  smile  could  be  seen  traces 
of  sadness,  sorrow  at  leaving  old  homes  and  friends, 
combined  with  expressions  of  firm  determination  to 
go  brave-heartedly  into  the  great  unknown  country. 

With  questioning  gaze,  Gully  approached  a  group 
of  his  acquaintances,  who  stood  apart  from  the 
crowd.  As  he  came  up,  and  before  he  could  ask  the 
cause  of  the  excitement,  he  was  greeted  by  one  of  the 
party: 

"Hello,  Trav!  Going  with  us?"  he  asked,  with 
outstretched  hand. 

Gully  seized  the  proffered  hand  of  his  friend,  Wil 
liam  Gowell.  "Going  where?"  he  asked.  "I  did 
not  know  you  were  leaving,  Bill." 

"Sure,"  replied  Gowell,  "hadn't  you  heard  about 
it?  Going  to  the  Northwest  to  take  up  a  home 
stead.  Lots  of  the  people  from  here  are  going," 
and  he  named  over  several  of  their  mutual  friends, 
who  had  sold  their  possessions  and  were  taking  ad 
vantage  of  the  homeseekers'  rates.  He  told  him  of 
the  great  advantages  offered  by  the  new  country,  and 
added:  "Better  come  on,  Trav." 

Travis  Gully,  after  talking  with  his  friends,  was 
astonished  and  bewildered  by  what  he  learned.  A 
special  car  had  been  sent  into  Chicago,  loaded  with 
a  display  of  the  products  of  this  new  country,  speci 
mens  of  timber,  minerals,  grain  and  fruit,  apples, 
pears  and  peaches,  the  like  of  which  had  never  before 
been  seen.  "And  just  think,  such  land  as  produced 
this  fruit  was  free,  open  for  settlement.  All  one  had 
to  do  was  to  live  on  it  for  a  while,  and  it  was  theirs." 

As  he  listened  to  these  astounding  statements,  he 


14  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

asked  himself:  "Why  was  it  not  possible  for  him  to 
take  advantage  of  this  golden  opportunity?  Why 
could  not  he,  like  so  many  of  his  friends,  sell  out 
and  follow  in  a  few  weeks?  He  would  see  what  could 
be  done."  And  with  this  resolve,  fired  by  this  new 
ambition  to  possess  a  home  of  his  own,  prompted  by 
the  advice  of  those  of  his  friends  who  were  casting 
their  lot  with  those  of  the  homeseekers,  he  eagerly 
sought  out  each  source  of  information,  even  to  mak 
ing  inquiry  as  to  the  probable  cost  of  tickets  for 
himself  and  family,  and  after  bidding  those  of  his 
friends  who  were  going  goodbye,  he  watched  the 
train  until  it  rounded  a  curve  that  hid  it  from  view, 
and  promising  himself  that  he  would  follow  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment.  With  pockets  bulging  with 
folders,  maps  and  descriptive  literature,  he  hurried 
home  with  the  eagerness  of  a  child,  to  prepare  his 
family  for  their  first  move  into  the  land  of  unlimited 
possibilities. 

Gully,  upon  his  arrival  home,  was  met  at  the 
gate  by  his  two  eldest  girls,  who,  after  opening  the 
gate,  received  the  few  small  bundles  brought  by  their 
father,  and  scurried  away  to  the  house  to  announce 
his  arrival.  He  watched  them  as  they  raced  to  the 
door.  Ida,  the  eldest,  a  slight  girl  who  had  just 
entered  her  teens,  had  been  her  mother's  help  in  car 
ing  for  the  younger  members  of  the  family,  had 
taken  up  her  share  of  the  household  duties  since  she 
could  stand  upon  a  chair  at  the  kitchen  table,  and 
wash  the  few  dishes  after  each  meal,  and  then  care 
for  the  ever  present  baby,  while  her  mother  took 
up  the  never  ending  duties  of  her  sordid  existence. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  15 

This  constant  strain  on  the  girl  had  robbed  her  of 
her  natural  childhood  and  aged  her  prematurely. 
This  fact  was  noted  by  the  father  in  his  present  frame 
of  mind  as  it  never  had  been  before.  He  thought  of 
the  advantages  of  the  freedom  of  the  far  Northwest, 
and  picturd  to  himself  the  fields  of  waving  grain, 
and  over-burdened  orchards,  as  shown  in  the  book 
lets  he  had  hastily  scanned,  and  thought  of  them  as 
his  own,  as  a  play  ground  for  his  children. 

Driving  into  the  barn  yard,  Gully  cared  for  his 
team;  each  little  chore,  as  it  was  done,  was  accom 
panied  with  thoughts  that  heretofore  had  never 
been  taken  into  consideration  As  he  hung  up  the 
harness  he  viewed  it  critically,  and  wondered  how 
much  it  would  bring  at  a  sale.  He  walked  around 
his  faithful  team  and  asked  himself  if  their  age 
would  impair  their  value.  When  he  went  to  the  crib 
for  corn  he  estimated  the  quantity  on  hand,  and 
calculated  its  probable  worth.  Never  before  had  he 
considered  his  small  possessions  from  such  a  view 
point. 

So  absorbed  was  he  in  this  new  mental  activity 
that  he  took  no  note  of  time,  and  he  was  suddenly 
aroused  by  the  children,  who  had  been  sent  to  tell 
him  that  supper  was  ready.  On  the  way  to  the 
house,  in  response  to  the  summons,  his  hand  con 
stantly  clutched  the  papers  in  his  pocket.  Nervous 
and  abstractedly  he  entered  the  kitchen,  where  his 
wife  was  busily  engaged  placed  the  supper  on  the 
table.  So  absorbed  was  she  that  she  failed  to  notice 
his  coming  in;  not  until  they  were  seated  at  the  sup 
per  table  did  she  note  the  change  in  his  appearance, 
and  then  only  after  he  had  made  some  reference  to  the 


16  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

fact  that  he  had  seen  William  Gowell  while  in  town, 
and  that  he  was  leaving  the  country ;  that  the  Moodys 
and  Lanes  and  several  others  of  their  acquaintance 
had  also  gone  on  the  same  train.  He  then  told  her 
of  all  he  had  heard  of  this  great  country  to  which  so 
many  of  their  friends  had  gone,  of  his  wish  to  go 
with  his  family  and  share  the  opportunities.  He 
went  into  detail  and  explained  what  the  cost  of 
going  would  be;  what  he  hoped  to  realize  from  the 
sale  of  their  possessions,  even  if  sold  at  a  sacrifice. 

He  talked  on  feverishly,  forgetting  the  frugal 
meal  set  before  him,  forgetting  the  tired  children, 
who,  little  knowing  the  important  part  this  proposed 
move  was  to  play  in  their  future,  had  eaten  their 
supper,  and  all  but  the  two  eldest  were  nodding  in 
their  chairs.  He  showed  his  wife  and  the  two  oldest 
girls  the  illustrations  in  the  folders,  showing  the  pic 
tures  of  just  such  farms  as  the  last  few  hours  had 
convinced  him  he  might  own. 

Seizing  a  teaspoon  from  his  untouched  cup  of 
coffee,  he  used  the  handle  to  point  out  rows  of — to 
them  meaningless — figures,  compiled  to  show  the 
millions  of  feet  of  timber,  tons  of  grain  and  fruit 
produced.  To  him  it  was  equally  meaningless,  except 
in  a  vague  way.  His  untrained  mind  was  incapable 
of  grasping  the  extent  of  the  information  conveyed, 
but  he  had  accepted  it  all  as  simple  facts,  for  had 
not  Gowell,  Moody  and  Lane  acknowledged  their 
faith  in  it  by  going.  Thus  he  talked  on  until  ex 
hausted.  The  family  retired  at  an  unusual  hour,  the 
wife  and  children  to  wonder  what  it  was  all  about, 
and  he  to  toss  restlessly  from  the  effects  of  an  over 
exhausted  mind. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  17 

He  arose  early  the  following  morning,  having 
formulated  his  plans  during  the  restless  night,  and 
immediately  began  to  put  them  into  execution.  He 
had  decided  to  hold  a  public  sale  the  following 
Saturday,  and  if  successful,  would  be  on  his  way  to 
his  future  home  the  next  Monday,  on  which  date  he 
had  learned  another  homeseekers'  excursion  would 
come  through  his  home  town.  To  accomplish  this 
would  require  rapid  work,  and  before  breakfast  on 
the  morning  following  this  resolve,  he  was  up  assem 
bling  his  few  belongings,  getting  them  in  shape  for 
the  sale.  Old  farming  implements  were  pulled  from 
long  forgotten  nooks  and  corners,  incomplete  sets  of 
harness  and  bridles  were  being  over  hauled  and  made 
fit  to  bring  the  best  possible  price,  the  flock  of  poultry 
was  counted  and  an  estimate  made  of  their  probable 
value,  the  two  cows,  with  their  calves,  the  three  pigs, 
kept  over  to  provide  the  following  winter's  supply  of 
meat,  his  team,  wagon  and  harness,  together  with 
his  household  goods,  constituted  his  eartly  posses 
sions. 

The  few  days  following  the  hastily  made  plans 
were  filled  with  incidents  that  tried  the  patience  of 
the  tired  wife  and  mother.  To  her  it  was  all  like 
a  dream.  It  was  the  first  time  she  had  ever  been 
taken  into  her  husband's  confidence  or  been  consulted 
as  to  his  plans  for  the  future.  She  did  not  realize 
that  she  was  expected  to  express  an  opinion  as  to 
the  wisdom  of  the  proposed  move;  if  he  said  it  was 
advisable  the  matter  was  settled. 

The  constant  demand  on  both  her  and  the  older 
children  for  assistance  in  assembling  the  various 


18  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

articles  intended  for  the  sale  was  met  with  unques 
tioning  silence,  and  not  until  her  aged  father  and 
mother  came  to  see  if  the  rumors  of  their  departure 
which  had  reached  them  were  true,  did  she  realize 
to  the  fullest  extent  what  her  going  away  really 
meant;  that  it  meant  the  leaving  behind  those  aged 
parents,  from  whom  she  had  never  been  separated 
except  for  a  few  miles;  that  it  meant  the  severance 
of  all  the  ties  and  scenes  with  which  she  had  been 
associated  from  her  earliest  recollection  to  the  pres 
ent  time. 

The  realization  of  this  fact  came  upon  her  with 
a  sudden  shock  that  stirred  within  her  the  first  sem- 
blence  of  rebellion  that  her  simple  nature  had  ever 
shown.  To  this  feeling  of  remonstrance  she  gave 
way  but  for  a  moment,  then  with  violent  weeping 
she  threw  herself  down  at  her  mother's  knee,  and 
with  her  head  buried  in  the  aged  woman's  lap,  the 
cradle  of  comfort  she  had  always  known,  she  vowed 
she  would  not  go.  "Travis  was  wrong;  they  were 
doing  well  enough  where  they  were;  father  must 
stop  him,  and  not  let  him  sell  everything  and  go 
away,"  but  when  the  aged  mother  placed  her  trem 
bling  hand  upon  the  bowed  head  and  assured  her 
that  'Travis  knew  what  was  best,  it  was  probably 
a  wise  move,  she  and  father  had  talked  the  matter 
over  as  soon  as  they  had  heard  that  they  were  going, 
and  regretted  that  they  were  not  at  an  age,  to  ac 
company  them.  She  must  do  as  her  husband  said 
for  his  and  the  children's  sakes,  and  then  too,"  she 
added,  "perhaps  father  and  I  can  come  later,  after 
you  are  settled  in  your  new  home."  With  this  as- 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  19 

surance  the  kind  old  mother  comforted  her  weeping 
daughter,  who,  after  recovering  from  her  first  and 
only  outbreak,  arose  and  resumed  her  duties  with 
such  an  attitude  of  utter  indifference  that  her  hus 
band  and  father,  who  had  been  looking  over  the 
articles  arranged  for  the  sale  the  following  day,  saw 
no  evidence  of  her  grief  upon  returning  to  the  house 
a  few  moments  after  the  occurance. 

Gully's  enthusiasm,  as  he  discussed  with  his 
wife's  father  and  mother  the  advantages  of  the  new 
country  to  which  he  was  going,  knew  no  bounds.  He 
had  acquired  from  his  constant  reference  to  the 
descriptive  literature  he  had  in  his  possession  a  fund 
of  facts  and  figures  that  were  most  convincing,  and 
he  referred  them  unhesitatingly  to  persons  who  had 
seen  this  exhibition  car  while  on  its  tour,  and  who 
could  verify  the  statements  as  set  forth  in  the  cir 
culars.  Thus  he  talked  on  until  long  after  the 
supper,  to  which  the  old  people  had  stayed,  was 
over,  and  after  promising  to  return  the  following 
day  to  be  present  at  the  sale,  they  had  driven  home. 


20  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 


CHAPTER   II. 

The  notices  of  sale,  which  had  been  posted 
throughout  the  neighborhood,  was  held  the  following 
day.  The  attendance  was  good,  and  its  success,  finan 
cially,  exceeded  Travis  Gully's  expectations,  bring 
ing  him  a  much  larger  amount  than  he  had  hoped  to 
realize.  This  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  spirited  bidding 
of  numerous  relatives  and  friends,  who  chose  this 
method  of  aiding  the  departing  family. 

After  the  last  of  those  who  had  bought  had  taken 
their  purchases  and  departed,  and  but  a  few  of  the 
idle  curious  remained,  viewing  the  small  pile  of 
articles  that  had  proven  unsalable,  the  reaction  came 
to  Travis  Gully  in  a  manner  that  fairly  staggered 
him.  As  he  beheld  this  remnant  of  his  years  of 
accumulation  of  personal  effects  laying  discarded  and 
rejected  by  all,  he  glanced  in  the  direction  of  his 
huddled  wife  and  children,  who  were  awaiting  the 
departure  of  the  vehicle  which  was  to  carry  them 
to  her  parents  home.  Haggard  and  dejected  they 
looked.  He  had  not  counted  on  the  effect  on  them, 
and  it  smote  him.  "Oh,  well,  they  would  soon  be 
settled  again,  and  in  a  home  of  their  own,  where 
every  nail  that  was  driven,  every  tree  that  was 
planted,  would  be  for  them,  and  would  be  theirs." 
With  this  consoling  thought,  he  thrust  his  hand  into 
his  pocket  and  walked  toward  the  barn.  He  started 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  21 

as  his  finger  tips  came  in  contact  with  the  money, 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale.  Drawing  it  forth,  he  held 
it  for  a  moment  and  stared.  This,  then,  was  the 
price  of  his  wife  and  children's  content;  t'was  for 
the  acquirement  of  this  that  he  had  dispoiled  their 
poor  little  home,  and  they  were,  at  that  very  moment, 
looking  regretfully  at  the  little  pile  of  rubbish,  each 
and  every  article  of  which,  though  refused  by  others, 
could  be  associated  with  some  pleasant  moment  of 
their  lives. 

Returning  the  money  to  his  pocket,  and  with  such 
thoughts  as  the  above  filling  his  mind,  he  entered 
the  barn.  There,  too,  he  was  overcome  with  a  feeling 
of  loneliness;  the  empty  stalls  where  for  years  his 
team  had  stood,  the  unfinished  feed  of  hay  in  the 
manger  just  as  they  had  left  it  when  those  faithful 
creatures  had  been  led  away  by  the  hand  of  new 
owners;  the  cobs  from  which  the  corn  had  been 
eagerly  bitten  were  still  damp  from  contact  with 
the  mouths  that  had  yielded  so  willingly  to  his  guid 
ing  hand.  Noting  each  little  detail  as  it  gnawed  its 
way  into  his  soul,  he  broke  down,  and  with  bowed 
head  he  wept  as  only  a  grief  stricken  man  can,  and 
thus  they  found  him  when  he  was  sought,  to  tell 
him  that  they  were  ready  to  take  him  and  his 
family,  for  the  last  time,  from  the  home  they  had 
occupied  for  so  many  years. 

The  few  unsold  articles  of  household  goods  and 
those  reserved  to  be  taken  on  the  trip,  together  with 
the  family,  were  taken  to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Gully's 
parents,  where  they  were  to  remain  until  final  pre 
parations  for  the  journey  were  completed.  The  even- 


22  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

ing  after  and  the  day  following  the  sale  were  both 
long  to  be  remembered  periods  in  the  lives  of  those 
concerned.  At  intervals  friends  or  relatives  would 
call  to  bid  farewell,  and  to  wish  the  Gullys  Godspeed 
on  their  journey.  At  such  times  the  subject  of  the 
trip  was  taken  up  and  discussed,  but  was  referred 
to  at  other  times  as  seldom  as  possible. 

The  term  "The  Northwest"  was  usually  applied 
in  a  general  way.  None  of  those  directly  interested 
seemed  to  appreciate  the  vast  area  comprising  this 
territory.  Their  conception  of  it  was  confined  to  an 
area  about  the  size  of  the  county  in  which  they 
lived,  or  at  best,  a  portion  of  their  home  state. 
They  readily  received  and  promised  to  deliver  mes 
sages  to  those  of  their  neighborhood  who  had  pre- 
ceeded  them  on  the  journey. 

The  selection  of  a  final  destination  was  the  ques 
tion  of  most  importance.  The  states  of  Montana, 
Idaho,  Washington  and  Oregon  each  offered  excep 
tional  opportunities  to  the  homesteaders  with  limited 
means.  So  after  deciding  to  buy  through  tickets  to 
a  coast  point,  with  stopover  privilege,  there  was 
nothing  to  do  but  await  the  day  of  departure. 

At  last  the  Monday  came  that  was  to  be  an  epoch 
in  the  lives  of  Travis  Gully  and  his  family.  It 
being  but  a  few  miles  to  the  station,  an  early 
noonday  meal  was  eaten,  bounteous  supplies  of 
lunches  were  stored  neatly  away  for  the  travelers 
who,  with  their  various  trunks,  satchels  and  bundles, 
were  loaded  into  a  wagon  and  sent  to  the  village 
earlier  in  the  day,  the  family  following  after  lunch. 
The  intervening  time  between  their  arrival  at  the 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  23 

station  and  that  of  the  train  upon  which  they  were 
going  was  one  of  intense  excitment.  The  unaccus 
tomed  ordeal  of  purchasing  tickets,  reserving  berths 
in  the  tourist  sleeper,  and  checking  the  baggage, 
together  with  constant  interruptions  with  offers  of 
well  meant  advice  and  suggestions  from  their  friends, 
kept  nerves  strained  to  the  breaking  point. 

At  the  sound  of  the  whistle  of  the  incoming  train, 
hearts  throbbed  wildly,  or  missed  a  stroke;  the  chil 
dren  were  hurriedly  embraced,  the  parting  kiss  and 
tender  final  pat  given;  the  mother  and  father  came 
forward  to  bid  Gully  and  his  wife  goodbye;  then 
pent  up  feeling  broke  their  bonds  and  mother  and 
daughter  wept  in  each  others  arms.  Amid  this 
scene  of  sorrow,  excitement  and  flurry  the  train, 
with  grinding  brakes,  hissing  air  valves  and  clang 
ing  bell,  drew  up  to  the  station  and  stopped. 

The  time  between  the  stopping  of  the  train  and 
the  conductors  deep,  gutteral,  "All  aboard,"  seemed 
but  the  briefest,  yet  'twas  ample,  and  with  final 
goodbyes  said  and  tears  hastily  dried,  they  were 
bundled  helter  skelter  into  their  seats,  and  with 
the  waving  of  many  hands  from  the  station  platform, 
they  were  on  their  way. 

As  the  train's  speed  increased  and  familiar  ob 
jects  were  being  rapidly  left  behind,  with  new  and 
strange  landscapes  being  reeled  off,  the  children, 
with  eager  faces  pressed  closely  to  the  car  win 
dows,  gave  joyous  expressions  of  childish  delight, 
while  the  mother  sat  silent,  oblivious  to  her  sur 
roundings. 


24  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

Travis  Gully,  with  his  newborn  spirit  of  inde 
pendent  manhood  struggling  within  him,  sat  stolidly 
awaiting  the  approaching  conductor,  as  if  uncertain 
of  the  fact  that  he  was  really  going,  until  he  had 
submitted  the  mass  of  yellow  and  green  strips  of 
cardboard,  which  he  was  firmly  clutching  in  his 
hand,  to  that  official  for  inspection. 

Settled  down  at  last  for  the  long  journey  over 
new  country,  the  constant  change  of  new  scenes  and 
experiences  kept  the  family  entertained  and  their 
minds  diverted  from  their  personal  discomforts, 
and  they  soon  gave  evidence  of  interest  and  delight 
The  wife's  spirits  being  thus  revived,  she  viewed 
the  panorama  of  passing  scenes  with  ever  increasing 
interest,  and  discussed  her  future  plans  and  hopes 
with  feverish  eagerness.  As  their  first  night  as 
tourists  approached,  and  the  outer  world  was  shut 
out  by  darkness,  the  berths  were  made  ready  by  the 
deft  hands  of  the  train  porter,  and  both  upper  and 
lower  sections  were  huddled  full  of  drowsy  and 
fretful  children.  The  unaccustomed  noise  and 
noisome  atmosphere  gave  but  little  promise  of  rest 
for  the  tired  father  and  mother.  Long  into  the 
night  they  lay  awake,  their  minds  filled  with  hope, 
fear  and  uncertainty,  that  crowded  their  way  to  the 
front  with  such  rapidly  changing  sensations  that  ex 
haustion  finally  overcame  them,  and  with  the  con 
stant  rattle  of  the  train,  as  it  crossed  the  joints 
in  the  rails,  dinning  its  way  into  their  benumbed 
brains,  they  sank  into  unconsciousness. 

Morning  found  them  but  little  refreshed,  but  after 
partaking  of  the  steaming  coffee,  prepared  on  a  stove 
with  which  the  car  was  equipped  for  the  purpose, 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  25 

and  eating  a  hearty  meal,  they  took  note  of  the 
changed  appearance  of  the  country  through  which 
they  were  passing.  Miles  and  miles  of  flat  level 
country,  partially  covered  with  snow,  drifted  by  the 
winter  wind,  with  an  occasional  spot  swept  bare, 
which  showed  the  bown  stubble  of  the  wheat  field 
or  plowed  ground  made  ready  for  the  spring  plant 
ing.  Fences  were  rare,  and  looking  out  across  the 
country,  the  home  could  be  seen,  and  they  appeared 
miles  apart;  straw  stacks,  around  which  frowsey 
haired  horses  and  cattle  stood,  dotted  the  landscape. 

The  afternoon  of  their  second  day  out  the  blue 
foothills  of  the  Rockies  could  be  seen  in  the  distance, 
and  as  they  gradually  drew  nearer,  they  were  whirled 
through  miles  of  barren  waste  of  sage  brush,  the 
shrub  that  was  to  play  an  ever  active  part  in  their 
future  lives. 

The  three  days  following  were  much  the  same; 
over  mountains,  valleys,  plains  and  steams  they  were 
speeded  until,  becoming  Inured  to  the  constant 
changes,  they  ceased  to  comment.  The  grandure  of 
the  scenery  did  not  appeal  to  their  undevelopd  finer 
senses;  they  were  simply  awed  by  its  vastness. 

The  morning  of  their  arrival  at  Wenatehee, 
Washington,  the  point  chosen  for  their  first  stop, 
was  bright  and  clear.  The  fresh  mountain  air  swept 
down  from  the  pine  covered  slopes  of  the  hills  that 
surrounded  one  of  the  most  fertile  valleys  in  the 
state,  in  the  heart  of  which  nestled  the  little  city, 
justly  famed  for  its  magnificent  fruit.  Miles  of 
splendid  orchards,  starting  at  the  very  threshold  or 
the  business  blocks,  extended  back  to  the  hills  on 


26  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

both  sides  of  the  valley.  The  low  drone  of  the  bees 
as  they  swarmed  forth  among  the  fast  swelling  buds 
in  quest  of  the  first  sip  of  nectar,  mingled  with  the 
roar  of  the  turbulent  Columbia  river,  and  made 
music  that  soothed  the  tired  travelers  as  nothing 
else  could. 

Travis  Gully  was  impressed  with  the  signs  of 
plenty  that  were  visable  at  every  hand.  By  inquiry, 
he  learned  that  hundreds  of  acres  as  valuable  as  that 
contained  in  the  surrounding  valley  were  available 
for  homesteading.  All  it  needed  was  water.  He 
soon  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  professional 
"Locator,"  a  human  parasite  that  hovers  around  the 
border  of  all  Government  land.  In  this  particular 
instance  the  "locater"  was  a  venerable  patriarch,  with 
flowing  white  beard  and  benign  countenance,  who 
assured  Gully  that  "He  had  just  the  place  for  him. 
It  was  about  fifty  miles  back  over  the  route  he  had 
come.  Did  he  not  remember  that  beautiful  stretch 
of  rolling  land  through  which  he  had  passed?  That 
was  the  place.  Thousands  of  acres  of  this  fine  land 
was  now  being  taken  up  by  homesteaders.  He  must 
act  quickly  or  his  opportunity  would  be  gone." 
After  listening  to  a  glowing  description  of  this  para 
dise,  Gully  agreed  to  accompany  him  to  see  the  land, 
which  he  did  the  following  day. 

There  are  times  when  it  seems  that  fate  plays 
into  the  hand  of  the  trickster,  and  on  this  particu 
lar  day  nature  was  extremely  lavish  with  her  bless 
ings.  Never  had  the  spring  sun  shone  more  brightly, 
the  balmy  air  was  laden  with  the  elixir  of  good  will 
and  contentment,  every  soothing  draught  taken  into 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  27 

the  lungs  spread  like  an  intoxicant,  filling  the  brain 
with  dreams  of  success  and  achievements  that  danced 
just  ahead,  almost  within  reach,  yet  still  to  be  striven 
for. 

Gully,  whose  mind  was  filled  with  the  contents 
of  the  circulars  he  had  read,  and  who  had  seen  the 
statements  made  therein,  verified  in  the  locality  he 
had  chosen  to  make  his  first  stop,  firmly  believed  in 
the  possibilities  of  the  land  shown  him,  and  made 
filing  on  it  immediately  upon  his  return  to  the  town. 
He  did  not  question  the  possibilities  of  irrigation  or 
take  into  account  its  remoteness;  neither  did  he 
investigate  the  results  of  past  efforts  put  forth  by 
others  in  this  conquest  of  the  desert.  It  was  not  a 
desert  to  him.  The  winter's  snow,  that  had  just 
disappeared,  had  left  abundance  of  moisture  in  evi 
dence.  Grass  was  springing  up  in  profusion,  and 
countless  wild  flowers  attested  the  fertility  of  the 
soil. 

So  after  the  neccessary  arrangements  had  been 
made,  he  came  with  his. family,  all  eager  to  do  their 
part  in  the  preparation  of  their  future  home.  Kind 
neighbors,  though  few  there  were,  came  with  offers 
to  help  erect  the  house.  The  family  was  provided 
with  shelter  until  such  time  as  the  structure  was 
habitable,  and  they  were  happy  under  these  new 
conditions;  they  who  had  never  known  a  harsher 
fate  than  the  demands  of  an  exacting  landlord  for 
his  annual  toll,  the  regular  routine  of  settling  the 
yearly  account  with  the  trusting  merchant  in  the 
nearby  village,  and  a  frugal  existence  through  the 
winter  on  what  remained  of  the  year's  yield.  Oh! 


28  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

happy  renter,  there;  should  his  yield  be  scant  or  in 
sufficient,  there  was  someone  to  appeal  to  for  assis 
tance,  which  was  gladly  given.  The  homefolks  were 
there,  and  others  to  extend  help  and  sympathy  at 
the  time  of  misfortune,  but  on  the  desert,  what?  A 
home  of  your  own. 

At  last  the  home  was  completed;  just  two  rooms, 
with  a  board  roof,  the  outer  walls  adorned  with  tar 
paper  held  in  place  with  laths,  and  when  they  moved 
in  joy  reigned  in  this  primitive  home.  A  rough  board 
table,  two  benches  and  a  cook  stove,  cooking  utensils, 
still  shining  with  the  burnish  of  new  tin,  shone  upon 
the  walls  just  outside  the  kitchen  door,  a  shelf  with 
new  tin  basin  and  water  pail  were  provided.  The 
remaining  room  was  furnished  with  two  beds,  built 
of  scraps  of  lumber,  the  corners  of  the  room  forming 
one  side  and  the  head,  discarded  balewire,  woven 
across,  took  the  place  of  springs;  three  family  por 
traits,  done  in  crayon,  a  gaudy  calendar  of  the 
year  before,  bearing  the  general  merchandise  ad 
vertisement  of  the  faithful  old  merchant  at  home, 
a  nickle  alarm  clock  upon  a  shelf,  and  the  home  was 
furnished.  But  it  was  a  home  of  their  own. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  29 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  journey  of  thousands  of  miles,  the  excitement 
of  getting  settled,  and  cool  fresh  breezes  that  swept 
down  from  the  snow  capped  peaks  of  the  Cascades, 
made  sleep  easy,  and  no  thought  of  the  morrow  dis 
turbed  the  rest  of  this  emancipated  renter.  Morn 
ing  came,  and  with  it  the  bright  sunshine  and  op 
pressive  silence  of  the  desert;  not  a  dog  to  bark,  nor 
a  noisy  fowl  to  break  the  stillness.  As  the  sun 
rose  from  the  horizon,  and  before  it  assumed  its 
brassy  glare,  a  mirage  formed  across  the  level 
plain,  magnifying  the  humble  homes  of  the  neigh 
boring  homesteaders  into  palatial  mansions,  and  the 
sage  brush  into  forrests,  and  glistening  lakes  with 
twinkling  waves  upon  their  surfaces.  Travis  Gully, 
with  his  family,  stood  awed  by  the  magnitude  of 
the  panorama  unrolled  before  their  gaze,  and  looked 
with  feverish  expectancy  into  the  vista  of  possi 
bilities  the  future  held  in  store  for  them.  The  sun 
mounted  higher  into  the  blue  dome,  the  mirage 
passed,  and  objects  assumed  their  normal  proportions, 
while  the  faithful  wife  told  of  the  hopes  for  good 
this  vision  foretold. 

The  weeks  that  followed,  each  day  of  which  was 
fraught  with  hours  of  patient  toil,  clearing  away  the 
brush  for  the  first  spring  planting,  the  honest  father 
hewing  a  spot  in  the  wilderness  of  sand  and  sage 
brush,  the  eager  children  rushing  in  at  each  stroke 


30  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

of  the  mattock,  seizing  the  uprooted  particles  of 
brush  and  bearing  them  triumphantly  away,  to  be 
placed  on  one  of  the  many  piles  of  rubbish  that 
marked  the  path  of  this  industrious  toiler;  the  patient 
mother,  appearing  at  the  doorway,  looking  out  across 
the  miles  of  unchanging  gray  toward  the  far  east 
with  that  indefinable  expression  of  homesickness  de 
picted  upon  her  face.  Of  such  scenes  as  this  is  the 
material  made  of  which  the  everlasting  monument, 
in  the  form  of  a  prosperous  farming  district  is 
built.  Every  fruit  tree  that  grows  in  the  far  famed 
Northwest  should  be  looked  upon  as  a  sprig  in  the 
laurel  wreath  with  which  to  crown  the  brows  of  the 
sturdy  homesteaders — those  departed  and  yet  to  come. 

At  the  close  of  each  day,  and  after  the  even 
ing  meal,  huge  bonfires  were  lit  in  the  clearing, 
around  which  the  children  danced  gleefully,  their 
shadows  casting  fantastic  shapes  in  the  background, 
where  the  gaunt  and  hungry  coyote  lurked,  and  at 
intervals  mingled  its  voice  in  discordant  note  with 
their  merry  laughter,  as  if  in  vain  endeavor  to  im 
press  upon  their  minds  the  narrowness  of  the  space 
that  lay  between  their  joyous  anticipations  and  deep 
est  gloom. 

Planting  time  arrived  with  all  its  hopes  for  a 
bounteous  yield.  Each  day  was  devoted  to  preparing 
the  ground  and  planting.  The  winter  just  passed 
had  afforded  sufficient  snow  and  moisture  to  produce 
perfect  planting  conditions,  and  many  were  the  plans 
made  for  the  expenditure  of  the  proceeds  of  this 
first  harvest  for  a  good  home,  fanning  implements, 
and  other  necessities  for  successful  farming. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  81 

The  grain  was  sown,  and  the  kitchen  garden 
planted  in  precise  rows  and  nicely  shaped  beds.  A 
wagon  load  of  scabrock  was  hauled  from  a  dry 
coulee  that  wended  its  way  diagonally  across  this 
vast  area  of  sand  and  sage.  These  were  used  to  form 
the  border  of  prim  walks  and  flower  beds,  each 
stone  being  placed  in  position  and  carefully  embedded 
in  the  soft  sand,  each  a  cornerstone  for  the  castle 
of  hope,  soon  to  be  displaced  by  an  inexorable  nature, 
and  to  allow  the  upper  structure  of  dreams  to  fall 
about  the  builder,  a  pall  of  utter  disappointment. 

Just  a  few  days  of  alluring  sunshine,  only  a  few 
balmy  night,  and  the  tiny  plants  were  raising  their 
tender  shoots  above  the  surface  of  the  sand,  which 
through  its  ages  of  shifting  now  refused  to  remain 
under  control  of  mere  man,  and  was  growing  rest 
less,  rolling  in  fiendish  glee  down  the  sides  of  the 
nicely  formed  flower  beds  and  rollicking  in  sparkling 
bits  across  the  walks,  filling,  with  maddening  per- 
sistance,  every  opening  made  in  its  surface  by  the 
upspringing  plants. 

The  age  worn  battle  between  the  Goodess  Flora 
and  the  relentless  desert  was  being  fought  over.  She 
with  all  her  garlands,  was  trying  to  wreath  the 
brow  of  this  gray  monster,  while  he,  with  his  wither 
ing  sunrays  and  constant  battering  with  tiny  part 
icles  of  sharp,  flinty  sand,  was  repulsing  her  every 
advance. 

The  Gods,  Jupiter,  Pluvius  and  Boreas,  stand 
ing  sponsors  for  the  contending  forces,  intervented 
and  changed  at  times  what  seemed  certain  victory. 
One  with  his  gentle  showers  or  torrential  downpour 


32  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

would   rush  to   the   scene   of   the   fray,   settling  the 
tiny  grains  of  sand  and  thereby  quelling  the  galling 
batteries  that  were  assailing  the  tender  plants,  at 
the   same   time   administering   to   their   bruised   and 
quivering   stems  and   foliage;   then,   conscious   of   a 
kindly   act,   he   sails   away,    seated   upon   his   fleecy 
crafts  of  air,  emitting  an  occasional  growl,  warning 
his  enemy,  the  wind,  against  his  return.    Scarcely  has 
his  frown  disappeared  over  the  brow  of  the  hills  to 
the  south,  followed  by  his  majestic  guard  of  chariots, 
with  billowing  gold  and  silver  plumage,  when  a  faint 
whisper  is  heard  in  the  grass.     Hark!   'tis  louder! 
See  the  tops  of  the  bunchgrass  moving  restlessly;  Old 
Boreas  is  stalking  his  enemy.     He  creeps  prone  upon 
the  ground,  like  a  serpent  he  raises  his  head  with  a 
hissing  sound;  on,  upward  to  the  top  of  the  tallest 
reeking    sage   brush    he    crawls;    maddened    by    the 
presence  of  those  hated   sparkling  drops   of  crystal 
water  that  bedecks  this  mishapen  shrub,  he  shakes 
them  in  myriads  to  the  ground  and  laughs  with  glee. 
But  in  so  doing  he  is  restraining  one  of  the  arch 
fiends   of  the   desert,   the   sand.     At   this    discovery 
he    shrieks    with    anger,    and    seizing    the    precious 
drops,  hoists  them  into  the  air,  scattering  them  in 
misty  spray  and  hurries  them  miles  through  space, 
back  to  their  natural  haunts,   where  they   are   left 
to  assemble  themselves  and  await  another  call.    Thus 
left  to  their  own,   again  the   sun   and   sand   renew 
the  attack,  and  wear  down,  by  constant  onslaught, 
every  particle  of  vegetation  not  originally  intended 
to  laugh  to  scorn  their  every  effort. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  33 

But  the  fortitude  of  those  alien  plants  was  noble; 
gallantly  they  withstood  the  siege.  For'  days  and 
weeks,  constantly  scorched  and  blistered  during  the 
day,  they  came  up  smiling  in  the  morning,  with 
heads  erect,  to  greet  the  same  sun  their  parent  plant 
had  known  and  throve  under,  but  stung,  whipped 
and  tortured  by  the  never  ceasing,  ever  shifting 
myriads  of  cutting  particles  of  sand,  bleeding  to  the 
last  infinitesimal  mite,  they  had  to  die;  they  hung 
their  noble  heads,  became  discolored  and  withered, 
and  when  the  morning  sun  shone  forth  it  was  upon 
the  same  dwarfed  sage  brush  and  hissing  bunch- 
grass  it  had  always  known.  The  scabrock  border, 
the  horned  toad  that  sought  shelter  beneath  the  pro 
tecting  edges,  all  one  color,  gray,  monotonous  gray. 

Small  indeed  would  be  the  area  of  reclaimed  land 
in  the  great  northwest  if  each  homesteader  had  given 
up  hopes  and  abandoned  his  dreams  with  his  first 
disappointment,  and  had  he  not  awakened  to  renewed 
effort  at  each  stroke  of  misfortune  administered  by 
what  seemed  to  be  a  relentless  fate. 

Nature,  in  her  lavish  distribution  of  blessings, 
had  not  wholly  forgotten  this  seemingly  neglected 
spot.  The  nights  were  cool  and  refreshing,  the  air 
pure  and  uncontaminated,  and  both  he  and  his 
family  being  blessed  with  rugged  health.  Travis 
Gully  looked  upon  the  havoc  wrought  with  undaunted 
courage  and  determination.  He  submitted  to  the  loss 
of  his  first  planting  with  resignation,  and  hastened 
to  seek  means  whereby  he  might  provide  food  and 
other  necessities  for  his  family.  To  the  north  lay 
the  never  failing  wheat  fields  of  the  Big  Bend  coun- 


34  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

try;  east,  the  Couer  d'Alene  mining  district;  and 
west  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  the  lumbering  in 
dustries  of  the  Puget  Sound  region.  These  each 
offered  a  solution  of  a  means  of  livlihood,  ample 
employment  and  good  wages;  but  with  the  departure 
of  the  family  from  the  homestead  went  the  cherished 
dream  of  a  home. 

Often  at  night  when  the  children,  now  grown 
sunburned  and  inured  to  the  intense  heart  and  blister 
ing  sands,  were  on  their  pallets,  enjoying  the  peace 
ful  sleep  of  tired  but  happy  childhood,  Gully  and  his 
wife  would  sit  for  hours  and  try  to  devise  means 
whereby  the  coming  winter  might  be  lived  through 
with  some  semblance  of  comfort.  During  these 
heart  to  heart  talks,  while  seated  before  the  door 
of  their  humble  home,  Gully's  gaze  would  wander 
out  across  his  broad  acres,  which  under  the  pale 
starlight  in  this  clear  desert  air,  could  easily  be 
transformed,  in  vision,  to  fields  of  waving  grain; 
conversation  would  cease;  a  restless  move  made  by 
one  of  the  children  would  attract  the  attention  of 
the  watchful  mother,  who,  upon  entering  the  house 
cautiously  stepping  with  stealthy  tread  among  the 
little  sleeping  forms,  would  approach  the  table,  give 
the  flame  of  the  one  small  kerosene  lamp  a  gentle 
turn  upward  and  throw  into  bold  relief  every  evi 
dence  of  abject  poverty  within  the  confines  of  that 
one  sparsely  furnished  room.  With  wide  staring 
eyes  she  would  hastily  scan  the  face  of  each  sleep 
ing  child  as  if  in  dread  of  finding  the  fiendish  hand 
of  huger  clutching  at  some  innocent  throat;  but 
all  is  quiet.  Passing  a  trembling  hand  across  her 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  35 

weary  forehead,  she  slowly  turned,  and  as  she  did 
so^  read  in  every  object  that  met  her  gaze  one  word, 
sacrifice.  The  little  blue  overalls,  with  their  number 
less  patches,  and  frayed  and  tattered  hem,  the  little 
gingham  aprons,  worn  threadbare  by  the  constant 
nipping,  picking  and  catching  on  the  scraggling 
branches  of  the  despised  sage  brush,  all  shrieked 
sacrifice.  Suddenly,  with  a  quick  movement,  a 
little  foot  is  thrust  from  beneath  the  scant  cover, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  varicolored  sand  lizzard 
scurries  across  the  bare  floor  and  disappears  through 
a  convenient  crack.  Seizing  the  lamp,  she  hurries 
to  the  side  of  the  sleeping  child,  takes  the  little 
brown  foot  in  her  loving  hands  and  seeks  in  vain  for 
some  mark  of  injury  inflicted  by  the  frightened  liz 
zard;  finding  none,  she  places  the  little  foot  tenderly 
on  the  pallet  and  reaches  for  the  cover;  stops,  and 
stares.  What  does  she  see?  Only  a  little  toe,  the 
nail  gone,  a  partially  healed  wound,  showing  where 
the  cruel  snag  of  the  hated  sage  brush  had  torn 
its  way  into  her  very  flesh  and  blood.  With  a  groan 
she  bows  her  head  for  a  moment,  then  hastily  scan 
ning  the  room,  she  misses  the  little  shoes  and  stock 
ings  so  much  needed  for  the  protection  of  those  little 
feet.  Arising,  she  replaces  the  lamp  upon  the  table, 
turns  it  low,  and  returns  to  her  husband's  side,  pre 
pared  to  make  one  of  the  greatest  sacrifices  ever 
made  by  a  woman,  and  one  of  which  little  has 
even  been  said  or  written.  She  must  tell  him  to  go, 
and  leave  her  and  the  children  alone  and  unprotect 
ed  in  the  desert.  He  must  go,  that  they  might  live, 
go  until  the  winter  snows  drive  him  home.  0  God! 


36  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

it  would  be  lonely,  days  of  constant  watching  across 
the  quivering  sea  of  unchanging  gray,  nights  of 
wakeful  listening,  broken  by  the  sound  of  the  goulish 
yip  of  the  hungry  coyote  and  the  mournful  hoot  of 
the  ground  owl. 

Give  honor  to  the  famous  women  of  our  land, 
if  you  must.  She  who  first  made  our  glorious  flag, 
those  who  devoted  their  lives  to  nursing  back  to 
health  and  strength  our  nation's  heroes,  and  the 
sainted  mothers  of  distinguished  men;  but,  oh!  re 
member  the  wives  of  the  pioneer  and  homesteader, 
and  ask  yourself;  is  she  not  entitled  to  a  place 
among  these  ? 

Travis  Gully,  being  completely  lost  in  his  dreams 
of  independence,  had  not  missed  her  from  his  side. 
The  good  wife  stole  softly  up  to  him,  and  placing 
her  hand  upon  his  knee,  slipped  down  beside  his 
chair,  s  He,  being  thus  suddenly  aroused  from  his 
reverie,  and  noting  her  appearance  of  abject  misery, 
assisted  her  to  arise,  drew  her  trembling  form 
near  him,  and  spoke  cheerfully  of  the  situation,  as 
suring  her  all  would  be  well  in  the  end.  He  forbade 
her  to  discuss  his  departure  at  that  time,  and  there 
beneath  the  broad  expanse  of  star  bedecked  sky, 
surrounded  by  the  vast  and  desolate  desert,  they 
renewed  their  faith  in  each  other  and  resolvd  to  con 
tinue  the  battle,  and  with  revived  hopes  they  planned 
for  the  future,  and  for  hours  rebuilt  the  castle  so 
ruthlessly  destroyed  by  the  desert  storm. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  37 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  month  of  June  had  arrived,  and  with  it 
came  the  intensified  summer  heat,  now  almost  unbear 
able  in  the  shadeless  glare,  and  as  the  time  approach 
ed  for  Gully's  departure,  it  was  finally  decided  that 
the  wheat  fields  of  the  north  would  be  the  easiest 
of  access  for  his  journey  in  search  of  work.  The 
question  of  water  for  domestic  use  being  the  most 
difficult  to  solve,  it  was  decided  to  build  a  cistern 
sufficiently  large  to  hold  enough  to  last  until  his  re 
turn,  and  for  the  next  few  weeks  the  time  was 
devoted  to  this  work.  It  was  while  thus  engaged  that 
the  family  received  its  first  ray  of  hopes  for  the 
ultimate  consummation  of  their  dream,  and  the  hope 
to  which  their  minds  would  frequently  revert  during 
the  long  fall  and  winter  months  that  were  to  follow. 

After  the  cistern  had  been  dug  and  Gully,  with 
painstaking  care,  was  trying  to  cement  the  interior, 
patiently  replacing  each  trovel  of  wet  cement  as  it 
rolled  from  the  sides,  as  the  sand  gave  way  and 
allowing  it  to  fall  repeatedly  to  the  bottom,  each 
time  being  taken  up  and  carefully  replaced,  gradu 
ally  setting,  inch  by  inch,  until  the  task  was  accom 
plished;  his  wife  on  the  surface,  mixing  the  sand 
and  cement  in  small  quantities  and  handing  it  down 
to  him,  as  required;  doing  her  part  to  conquer  the 
winderness  as  valiantly  as  any  man;  when  there  was 
a  hurried  scampering  of  little  feet,  and  the  children 


38  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

came  breathlessly  up,  calling  to  their  parent  that 
"Wagons  were  coming,  lots  of  them."  This  an 
nouncement  to  the  uninitiated  would  seem  but  small 
cause  for  comment,  but  to  those  who  live  for  weeks 
and  months  without  the  advent  of  a  stranger  with 
in  miles  of  their  habitation,  the  approach  of  an  un 
known  horseman  or  vehicle  is  hailed  with  excitement 
and  wonder. 

Gully  hastily  emerged  from  his  work  beneath 
the  surface  and  looked  inquiringly  in  the  direction 
indicated  by  the  excited  youngsters,  where  a  few 
miles  to  the  west  a  dense  cloud  of  dust  could  be  seen. 
An  occasional  horseman,  driving  loose  stock,  or  a 
covered  wagon  or  buckboard,  could  be  distinguished 
through  the  dense  pall  of  dust  that  hung  with  mad 
dening  persistence  over  the  approaching  caravan. 
Speculation  was  rife  among  the  now  excited  family, 
and  many  were  the  theories  advanced  as  to  the  cause 
of  this  unusual  sight.  It  being  definitely  deter 
mined  that  the  approaching  wagon  train  was  wend 
ing  its  weary  way  along  the  road  that  terminated 
at  their  humble  abode,  hurried  arrangements  were 
made  to  greet  the  strangers,  the  children  were  as 
sembled  at  the  kitchen  door,  and  their  faces  washed 
to  remove,  if  possible,  a  small  portion  of  the  desert 
grime;  their  sunburned  locks,  that  the  wind  had 
whipped  into  wild  confusion,  were  hastily  untangled, 
and  arranged  into  semblence  of  order.  When  this 
task  was  completed  and  each  little  bronzed  cheek 
shone  with  the  too  strenuous  application  of  common 
laundry  soap,  that  only  resulted  in  bring  out  in  bold 
relief  the  myriads  of  copper  colored  freckles  with 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  39 

which  they  were  covered  with  generous  profusion, 
they  were  admonished  by  their  mother  to  "keep 
clean,"  and  were  allowed  to  scurry  away,  to  watch 
in  wide  eyed  wonder  the  approach  of  the  strangers. 
The  mother,  with  purely  feminine  instinct,  removed 
all  evidence  of  the  white  splashes  of  cemnt  from 
her  hands  and  shoes,  changed  her  dress,  and  after 
these  pitiful  efforts  at  making  herself  presentable, 
joined  with  the  waiting  chlidren. 

Many  of  my  readers  have,  no  doubt,  waited  with 
feverish  expectancy  the  ringing  up  of  the  curtain 
on  some  notable  drama,  or  looked  forward  with  a 
mingling  of  joyous  anticipation  and  dread  to  the 
arrival  of  a  relative  or  friend  whom  they  had  not 
seen  for  years.  But  few  indeed  are  left  who  can 
describe  or  define  the  sensation  of  commingled  joy, 
dread  and  uncertainty  that  fills  the  heart  of  the 
lonely  homesteader  on  an  occasion  like  this.  Hours 
seemed  to  pass  during  the  interval  between  the  dis 
covery  of  their  approach  and  the  arrival  of  the 
strangers,  the  hundreds  of  questions  that  rushed,  un 
bidden,  to  the  minds  of  the  isolated  desert  dwellers. 
Who  were  they,  and  what  was  their  motive  for  com 
ing?  Were  they  transient  visitors  on  an  idle  tour, 
or  some  wandering  band  of  nomads,  drifting  dere 
licts,  who  had  strayed  from  the  beaten  paths  to  evade 
if  possible,  contact  with  civil  authorities;  or  better 
yet,  were  they  new  neighbors  coming  to  cast  their 
lot  with  them,  to  assist  in  the  reclaimation,  the  con 
quest  of  the  desert?  Such  were  the  multitude  of 
questions  recurring  to  the  minds  of  the  anxious 
watchers,  each,  in  its  turn,  being  cast  aside  to  be 
replaced  by  others,  in  bewildering  succession. 


40  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

Travis  Gully,  who,  owing  to  the  narrowness  of 
his  self  constituted  domain  and  the  wild  desert  en 
vironments,  had  allowed  himself  to  drift  backward, 
and  contact  with  conditions  with  which  he  was  un 
familiar  had  awakened  in  him  the  spirit  of  alert 
defensiveness  of  primitive  man.  He  felt  the  sting 
of  resentment  at  the  approach  of  the  strangers, 
and  it  was  with  a  forced  smile,  and  hesitating  hand 
shake  that  he  greeted  the  foremost  of  the  party, 
who  had  at  last  ridden  within  the  front  dooryard. 
Glancing  over  his  shoulder,  he  assured  himself  of 
the  safety  of  his  family.  The  wife  and  three  eldest 
children  had  remained  standing  near  the  door,  while 
two  little  towheads,  that  protruded  from  behind 
the  building,  showed  where  the  two  youngest  had 
taken  refuge. 

Gully  invited  the  stranger  to  dismount,  but  the 
latter,  thanking  him  curtly,  remained  mounted  until 
the  entire  party,  consisting  of  some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  men,  equipped  with  a  complete  field  outfit, 
wagons  loaded  with  tents  and  provisions,  abundance 
of  stock,  both  draft  and  pack  animals,  had  arrived 
within  hailing  distance.  Turning  in  his  saddle,  the 
chief,  or  man  in  charge,  raised  his  gauntleted  hand 
with  a  commanding  jesture,  and  with  brakeblocks 
grinding  against  glistening  and  heated  tires,  rattle 
of  chains  and  shouts  from  the  teamsters,  the  pro 
cession  came  to  a  stop.  Dismounting,  he  gave  a  few 
instructions  to  his  men,  who  remained  on  their 
wagons;  then  returning  to  the  waiting  homesteader, 
asked  as  to  the  conditions  for  making  permanent 
camp  in  the  neighborhood.  On  being  assured  that 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  41 

there  was  no  water  for  the  stock  nearer  than  three 
miles,  the  windmill  overtopping  the  well  at  that  point 
being  in  full  view,  was  pointed  out  to  him,  and 
minute  directions  for  finding  the  road  that  ran  tor- 
turously  through  the  miles  of  sagebrush  to  this  oasis, 
was  given.  With  a  courteous  bow,  the  chief  mounted, 
gave  orders  to  his  men  to  follow,  and  moved  off  in 
the  direction  of  the  well. 

As  the  last  sound  of  the  departing  cavalcade 
was  stifled  in  the  muffling  sand,  Mrs.  Gully  came  to 
where  her  husband  was  standing,  gazing  absently 
in  the  direction  the  strangers  had  gone.  Who  were 
they  and  what  were  they  here  for,  was  the  absorb 
ing  and  unanswered  question;  who  was  this  clean, 
trim  man,  dressed  in  his  khaki  suit  and  neat  leather 
leggings,  who  had  such  absolute  authority  over  this 
thoroughly  equipped  expedition;  not  a  homesteader, 
this  was  evident  by  his  professional  appearance; 
not  a  fugitive,  because  his  manner  was  too  gentle. 
Who  was  he,  and  what  was  his  business? 


42  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 


CHAPTER   V. 

As  the  season  approached  for  the  exodus  of  home 
steaders  for  the  harvest  field,  hurried  preparations 
for  the  departure  was  made,  the  cistern  was  com 
pleted,  huge  piles  of  sage  brush  was  gathered  for  fuel 
and  placed  conveniently  near  the  house.  Thus  was 
Travis  Gully's  time  taken  up  for  the  next  few  days 
following  the  arrival  of  the  campers  at  the  well. 
Many  were  the  inquiring  glances  that  were  cast  in 
the  direction  of  the  group  of  glistening  white  tents. 
Parties  of  men  could  be  seen  going  and  coming, 
morning  and  night,  some  walking,  others  mounted  or 
in  vehicles.  Once  a  band  of  what  seemed  to  be 
loose  horses  was  seen  to  be  approaching  the  home 
of  the  Gullys,  but  when  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  house  a  mounted  man,  emerging  from  the  tent 
village,  followed  them  and  turned  them  westward, 
soon  being  lost  in  the  sea  of  gray  sagebrush,  but  not 
before  it  was  discovered  that  it  was  a  pack  train, 
going  out  for  supplies. 

At  last  the  day  came  when  the  mystery  of  their 
purpose  was  to  be  solved.  On  his  first  trip  to  the 
well  for  water  with  which  to  fill  his  now  completed 
cistern,  Gully  noted  a  fact  that  had  been  overlooked 
by  him  on  the  occasion  of  their  visit  to  his  home; 
each  wagon  and  all  the  equipment  was  stamped 
U.  S.  G.  S.  This  fact,  however,  left  no  clue  in  his 
crude  mind  as  to  who  they  were,  and  not  until  he 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  43 

saw  one  of  the  party  with  an  instrument  on  a  tripod, 
mounted  upon  a  small  knoll  near  the  road  to  his 
home,  did  he  awake  to  the  realization  of  the  fact 
that  they  had  something  to  do  with  a  survey. 

The  task  of  filling  the  cistern  consumed  many 
days,  and  required  numberless  trips  to  and  from  the 
well.  During  these  frequent  visits  the  acquaintance 
of  some  of  the  men  around  camp  was  made  and  the 
information  was  volunteered  by  one  of  their  number 
that  they  were  a  party  of  United  States  Geological 
Surveyors  sent  out  by  the  Government  to  make  a 
survey  of  the  desert  with  the  view  to  ascertaining 
if  it  was  feasible  to  irrigate  the  region  by  gravity 
from  some  of  the  numerous  lakes  and  streams  that 
lay  hidden  away  in  the  mountains  that  surrounded 
the  entire  valley. 

Irrigation!  So  this  was  the  reason  for  all  this 
activity.  Gully's  heart  leaped  at  the  sound  of  this 
magic  word.  Here  was  the  realization  of  his  dream. 
It  was  to  be — and  why  not?  Was  not  the  Govern 
ment  making  the  survey,  had  not  the  authorities 
awakened  to  the  fact  that  here  was  a  country  of 
some  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres  of 
valuable  land  laying  idle.  Why  not  convert  it  into 
homes  for  thousands,  who,  like  himself,  though  less 
venturesome,  were  dreaming  of  a  home  of  their  own. 
With  gladdened  heart,  forgetful  of  poverty  and  past 
disappointments,  he  hurriedly  filled  his  barrels  with 
water  and  drove  home  eager  to  tell  his  wife  the 
good  news. 

"I  knew  it  was  coming,"  he  told  her.  "Had  he 
not  talked  with  the  men  who  had  been  sent  to  bring 


44  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

about  this  transformation?  'Must  think,  Minnie," 
he  exclaimed,  "we  are  among  the  first.  Others  may 
follow,  but  we  have  our  land." 

Water,  bright  sparkling  water,  flowing  in  rippling 
streams;  all  they  wanted;  no  more  wearisome  trips 
across  the  dry  parched  waste,  with  the  constant 
drum,  drum  of  the  empty  barrels  dinning  in  his  ears 
— no  more  return  trips  with  the  barrels  filled  at 
starting,  but  now  sadly  depleted,  and  the  wagon  box 
reeking  and  dripping  with  the  waste  caused  by  the 
splash,  splash  of  the  precious  fluid.  Irrigation — 
and  a  home  of  his  own. 

A  few  days  after  the  discovery  of  the  object  of 
the  party  encamped  at  the  well  was  made,  it  became 
generally  known,  and  the  glad  news  was  being 
discussd  in  every  home  throughout  the  sparsely 
settled  neighborhood.  Men  could  be  seen  loitering 
around  the  camp  or  mingling  with  the  surveyors  in 
the  field,  eagerly  gathering  such  scraps  of  informa 
tion  as  was  given  out  and  hastily  departing  to  add 
fuel  to  the  already  inflamed  imagination  of  the 
settlers. 

It  never  occured  to  them  that  even  though  the 
survey  resulted  in  a  favorable  report,  it  would  prob 
ably  take  years  before  the  accomplishment  of  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  being  made,  and  the 
added  strain  of  uncertainty,  waiting  and  watching 
made  the  life  of  the  homesteader  more  unbearable. 

When  the  morning  came  for  the  departure  of  the 
little  band  of  harvesters  for  the  broad  wheatfields  of 
the  big  bend  country,  it  was  an  unusual  sight  that 
greeeted  the  vision.  It  had  been  previously  ar- 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  45 

ranged  that  they  should  assemble  at  the  well  and 
make  that  the  starting  point  for  their  journey.  Small 
puffs  of  dust  might  be  seen  arising  miles  away, 
each  marking  the  approach  of  one  or  more  of  the 
sturdy  homesteaders,  many  of  whom  had  made  the 
trip  the  fall  before  and  knew  of  the  many  long 
hours  of  toil  that  awaited  them.  Yet  they  were 
marching  forth,  with  grim  determination  to  put  as 
many  hours  into  each  day  as  mortal  man  could 
stand.  It  was  their  harvest  as  well  as  the  wheat 
growers;  their  season  for  retrieving  the  few  hard- 
earned  dollars  lost  in  seeding  and  planting  during 
the  spring  just  passed;  theirs,  to  accumulate  the 
necessary  food  and  clothing  for  the  wives  and  little 
ones  they  were  leaving  behind  in  the  desert,  to  watch 
longingly  for  thir  return  when  the  harvest  was 
ended. 

The  party  with  which  Gully  was  going  had 
decided  to  take  one  wagon  with  four  horses  to  con 
vey  their  crew,  with  the  camp  equipment,  to  the 
grain  fields.  The  men  came  in  every  conceivable 
means  of  conveyance,  accompanied  by  a  member  or, 
in  some  instances,  by  the  entire  family,  who  were 
to  return  with  the  rigs  to  their  homes,  after  seeing 
them  safely  on  their  way.  Each  came  with  his 
blanket  roll  neatly  tied  with  a  cord  or  strap.  Two 
dilapidated  telescope  grips,  made  of  canvas,  were 
provided  to  carry  the  extra  clothing  of  the  party; 
a  writing  tablet  and  a  package  of  plain  white  en 
velopes,  by  means  of  which  the  messages,  scribbled 
with  pencil,  and  often  by  lantern  light,  of  love,  sor 
row,  success  or  defeat,  were  to  be  conveyed  to  the 
lonely  ones  in  the  desert  wilds;  a  spool  of  black 


46  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

cotton  thread,  some  needles  and  a  few  extra  buttons, 
for  an  emergency,  were  carefully  stored  deep  in 
one  corner  of  the  grip.  All  to  be  used  in  common, 
all  brothers  in  the  wilds;  there  was  no  business 
rivalry,  no  competition  there;  just  an  equal  desire 
that  all  might  live. 

They  were  late  in  getting  started,  owing  to  the 
distance  some  of  them  had  to  come,  and  when  the 
last  of  the  party  rode  up,  seated  upon  a  horse  fully 
harnessed,  complaining  that  his  delay  was  caused 
by  the  collapsing  of  one  of  the  wheels  of  his  vehicle, 
the  poor  old  weather  beaten  buggy  rendered  unser 
viceable  by  its  constant  use  on  many  trips  to  and 
fro  across  the  sandy  waste;  the  spiteful  particles  of 
sand,  gnawing,  cutting  and  grinding  their  way  into 
each  tiny  crevice,  between  the  rim  and  spoke,  into 
the  hub  and  under  the  tire,  until  its  wheels,  after 
days,  weeks  and  months  of  rattling,  squeaking  and 
groaning,  could  no  longer  stand  the  strain,  the 
inanimate  thing  sank  helplessly  down,  to  be  cast 
to  one  side,  among  the  harshi  rasping  sagebrush, 
and  left  there  to  sizzle,  shrink  and  bleach  in  the 
blistering  sun  rays,  until  called  for  and  taken  help 
lessly  back  to  the  home  of  its  owner  for  repairs,  in 
the  way  of  having  hard  bits  of  sun  parched  leather, 
cut  from  well  worn  and  discarded  shoes,  forced  be 
tween  its  once  perfectly  fitting  rim  and  tire,  the 
whole  being  wound  and  rewound  with  the  indis 
pensable  balewire.  Such  an  end;  what  could  be 
expected  of  a  thing  of  flesh  and  blood? 

"Never  mind,"  cried  his  waiting  companions, 
cheerfully.  "You  can  soak  the  old  critter  up  in  the 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  47 

irrigation  ditch  pretty  soon."  And  with  this  merry 
jest,  at  the  same  time  recalling  to  their  minds  the 
condition  of  their  own  means  of  conveyance,  and 
also  one  of  the  many  uses  to  which  the  abundance 
of  water  could  be  put  when  once  turned  loose,  to  run 
rampant  across  the  stretch  of  barren  waste.  They 
prepared  to  start  on  their  journey. 

Each  of  the  party,  with  sad  heart  and  quivering 
voice,  all  doing  their  best  to  present  an  indifferent 
exterior,  bade  the  waiting  members  of  their  families, 
the  gathered  neighbors,  and  the  members  of  the 
survey  crew  a  hearty  goodbye,  and  drove  north 
ward,  knowing  full  well  that  their  toilsome  progress 
across  the  valley  would  be  followed  by  tear  stained 
eyes  and  aching  hearts,  until  the  evening  shades 
settled  and  the  thin  spiral  column  of  dust,  watched 
for  a  time  after  the  object  which  caused  it  to  mount 
high  into  the  heated  atmosphere  had  been  hidden 
by  a  cloak  of  darkness. 

The  first  night  out  the  travelers  spent  at  a  small 
spring  that  flowed  in  a  feeble  stream  down  the  rock 
ledge  that  formed  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
desert,  and  sank  from  sight,  being  swallowed  by 
the  thirsty  sands.  It  was  a  hard  drive  that  brought 
them  to  this  place,  and  during  the  hours  that  inter 
vened  between  their  departure  from  the  well  and 
arrival  at  their  first  camp,  was  spent  in  almost 
silence.  Each  of  those  present  seemed  lost  in  silent 
contemplation  of  the  difficulties  that  confronted  him. 
Various  subjects  had  been  brought  up  for  discussion, 
followed  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  were  allowed 
to  drop.  All  except  Travis  Gully,  who  was  driving, 
seemed  lost  to  their  surroundings. 


48  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

It  was  a  varied  assortment  of  which  this  little 
group  of  men  was  composed,  taken  at  random  from 
various  points,  from  different  walks  of  life,  no 
common  interest  in  the  way  of  mechanics  or  pro 
fession,  yet  bound  together  by  stronger  ties,  a  mutual 
understanding  of  each  other's  absorbing  ambition 
to  build  a  home;  appreciating  to  the  fullest  extent 
the  difficulties  and  hardships  endured,  the  disappoint 
ments  and  suffering  caused  by  the  one  common 
affliction,  poverty. 

There  was  the  muscular  iron  molder  from  Pitts- 
burg,  who  would  sit,  with  half  closed  eyes,  and 
liken  the  heat  of  the  desert  to  the  firy  glow  of  the 
familiar  furnaces;  the  clouds  of  dust  to  the  dense 
smoke  of  his  home  city,  and  ask  himself:  "Had  he 
moved  wisely?"  The  pressman,  from  one  of  the 
largest  printing  establishments  in  Denver,  who  would 
in  dreamy  silence  listen  to  the  constant  clatter  of 
the  wagon,  and  in  fancy  hearing  the  rumble  of  hia 
once  favorite  machine,  the  press,  rolling  out  in  end 
less  sheets  items  of  news,  gathered  from  all  over  the 
world;  suddenly  the  wagon  wheel  strikes  a  stone, 
and  with  a  lurch,  he  starts  with  outstretched  hand 
to  adjust  a  roller,  replace  a  belt,  or  take  up  the 
torn  web.  Smiles  feebly  at  his  absentmindedness 
and  resumes  his  seat.  The  professor,  who  for  years 
taught  in  a  college  in  Kansas,  watched  with  earnest 
gaze  each  specimen  of  desert  plant  life  that  struggled 
for  existence  beside  the  dusty  road,  unable  to  release 
himself  from  the  desire  to  increase  his  botanical 
knowledge.  An  exsoldier  and  Travis  Gully,  the 
farmer,  completed  this  incongruous  party. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  49 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  spring  just  before  sun 
down,  they  arose  from  their  seats  in  the  wagon, 
cramped  and  dusty  from  their  long  ride,  and  shamb 
ling  to  the  rock  ledge,  relieved  their  parched 
throats  with  copious  draughts  from  the  spring. 
Knowing  that  the  scarcity  of  water  on  the  road 
over  which  their  route  lay  would  necessitate  a 
forced  drive  on  the  morrow,  they  hastily  unhar 
nessed  the  horses,  gave  them  water  and  picketed 
them  to  munch  the  scant  herbage  until  sufficiently 
cooled  to  be  given  their  ration  of  grain,  they  then 
prepared  their  own  frugal  supper,  after  which,  with 
pipes  lit,  and  each  seated  around  the  smoldering  sage 
brush  fire,  their  faces  turned  homeward,  watched 
the  shades  of  evening  settle,  and  noted  the  twinkling 
lights  that  shone  from  their  humble  homes  miles 
away  across  the  level  plain.  Conversation  no  longer 
lagged;  each  was  eager  to  express  his  views  as  to 
the  result  of  the  survey  now  being  made,  and  the 
certainty  of  the  wealth  to  follow  the  reclamation 
of  the  thousands  of  acres  of  fertile  land  that  lay 
stretched  for  miles  to  the  south.  No  one  doubted 
for  a  moment  but  what  it  would  come.  Was  not 
each  of  the  railroads  that  extended  across  the  great 
Continental  Divide,  advertising  the  fertile  valleys 
of  the  Northwest  as  the  goal  of  the  poor  man?  Was 
not  every  Commercial  Club  in  the  cities  through 
which  these  avenues  of  commerce  and  forerunners 
of  civilization  ran,  sending  out  and  scattering  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  entire  territory  from  the 
Atlantic  seaboard  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  pamphlets 
in  which  was  set  forth,  in  glowing  word  pictures, 


50  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

accounts  of  the  possibilities  of  the  undeveloped  lands 
now  laying  idle,  yours  for  the  asking?  Were  they 
not  morally  responsible  for  the  welfare  of  each 
family  who,  lured  by  their  flattering  descriptions, 
had  given  up  their  means  of  a  livlihood,  and  sold 
their  small  accumulation  of  personal  property,  in 
most  instances  for  what  they  could  get;  frequently 
scarcely  enough  to  reach  this  land  of  dreams,  and 
at  best  with  but  a  few  hundred  dollars? 

Would  these  mighty  forces  that  were  being 
brought  to  bear  for  the  purpose  of  converting  the 
undeveloped  resources  of  this  vast  country  into  a 
merchantable  article,  going  to  accomplish  their  end 
by  the  sacrifice  of  thousands  of  human  ambitions, 
and  even  lives?  Certainly  not;  give  them  a  chance. 

This  survey  was  being  made  with  the  view  to 
placing  within  the  reach  of  the  settlers  the  means 
whereby  wealth  and  affluence  might  be  obtained. 

Such  was  the  opinion  of  all,  and  with  optimistic 
views  and  hopes  renewed,  the  blankets  were  unrolled 
and  spread  upon  the  bare  ground,  and  with  a  cheery 
"Goodnight,"  each  of  these  champions  of  right  and 
justice  lay  down  to  enter  the  enchanted  land  of 
dreams,  and  live  through  the  realization  of  all  they 
had  hoped  for. 

Just  before  daylight  the  following  morning  all 
were  astir  and  the  horses  fed,  and  with  the  never 
to  be  forgotten  acrid  smell  of  burning  sagebrush 
permeating  the  cool  air,  which,  gathered  amid  the 
eternal  snows  that  lay  undisturbed  for  ages  on  the 
glistening  sides  of  the  mountain  peaks  to  the  west, 
was  wafted  and  filtered  through  miles  of  spruce  and 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  51 

pine  forests  and  delivered  in  all  its  exhilerating 
morning  freshness  to  fill  with  health  and  vigor  the 
lungs  of  these  conquerors  of  the  wilderness;  break 
fast  was  eaten,  blankets  rolled,  and  just  as  the  rosy 
tint  of  the  pitiless  sun  shone  in  the  east,  the  start 
was  made. 

The  road  which  had  led  them  for  weary  miles 
across  the  desert  the  afternoon  before  came  to  an 
abrupt  ending  at  the  spring.  The  solid  cliff  of 
basaltic  rock  formed  an  impassible  barrier  to  the 
north.  There  seemed  no  reason  for  the  road  leading 
squarely  up  to  the  ledge  other  than  to  gain  access 
to  the  scant  water  supply  the  small  spring  afforded, 
this  spot  having  been  for  years  the  stopping  place 
for  weary  travelers  and  hordes  of  thirsty  stock. 
No  road  leading  from  the  spring  being  visable,  a 
return  drive  was  made  until  a  road  leading  directly 
east  was  encountered.  This  road  was  followed  for 
several  miles,  when  a  break  in  the  range  of  hills 
afforded  an  exit  verging  a  little  to  the  northeast. 
After  a  few  miles  the  road  turned  directly  north 
again,  leading  into  a  break  in  the  barrier  of  hills 
and  out  through  a  coulee  to  the  plateau,  where  lay 
the  wheat  fields  that  were  the  destination  of  the 
little  band  of  harvesters. 

The  trip  through  the  coulee,  once  made,  would 
never  be  forgotten.  Immediately  at  the  entrance  of 
the  funnel  like  gorge,  with  its  precipitous  walls  of 
stone  towering  in  heights  from  a  few  hundred  to 
two  thousand  feet,  the  way  seemed  blocked  by  a 
lake  several  miles  in  length.  Clear  and  cool  it  lay, 
constantly  lashed  into  fury  by  the  strong  current 


52  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

of  air  rustling  from  the  chasm  above.  The  white, 
foam  crested  waves,  spending  their  force  upon  the 
sandy  shore  at  the  lower  end,  retreating  after  each 
attack,  leaving  behind  a  deposit  of  white  frothy 
foam  that  was  picked  up  by  the  wind  and  scattered 
far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  next  incoming  wave, 
there  to  be  dried  by  the  sun,  and  the  residue,  a 
white  crystal,  powdered  salts,  left  sparkling  in  the 
sunlight.  Nothing  in  the  way  of  vegetation  except 
a  species  of  harsh  quackgrass  grew  within  the 
radius  covered  by  this  deposit.  The  waters  of  this 
lake  possessed  strong  mineral  properties  that  were 
fatal  to  plant  life,  also  rendering  it  extremely 
nauseating  and  unfit  for  drinking.  Owing  to  this 
fact,  it  had  been  known  to  the  Indians  of  Chief 
Moses*  tribe  as  "Poison  Water."  Yet  cool  and 
sparkling  it  lay,  a  gem  in  the  barren  gulch,  relieving 
the  eye  of  those  who  chanced  to  pass  that  way,  but 
often  proving  a  sad  disappointment  to  both  the 
travel  worn  man  and  beast,  who,  unacquainted  with 
its  peculiar  qualities,  upon  first  beholding  its  rippling 
surface,  hastened  to  its  brink  to  appease  a  desert 
born  thirst. 

As  the  lake  was  approached  by  the  party,  the 
members  of  which  had  previously  heard  of  its  exis 
tence  and  the  nature  of  its  waters,  no  stop  was 
made.  A  passage  around  it  was  sought  and  soon 
discovered  in  a  well  worn  trail  that  followed  a  dry 
ravine  which  led  down  to  the  lake,  and  extending 
around  its  head,  reentered  the  coulee  some  miles 
above.  They  continued  their  journey  along  this 
ravine,  the  route  being  marked  at  intervals  by  the 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  53 

bleached  bones  of  animals  which  had  perished  of 
thirst  within  a  short  distance  of  abundance  of  cool 
clear  water  that  a  caprice  of  nature  had  rendered, 
like  fools  gold,  alluring,  but  of  no  value. 

For  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  the  road  ran  tor 
tuously  among  the  huge  boulders  that  had  fallen 
from  the  crest  of  the  solid  walls  that  arose  hundreds 
of  feet  on  either  side,  the  crevices  and  nooks  of 
which  were  the  haunts  of  the  rattlesnake  and  lizard. 
The  projecting  ledges  that  occasionally  occurred 
showed  signs  of  being  the  nesting  place  of  hundreds 
of  hawks  that  circled  in  an  aimless  manner  at  dizzy 
heights  above  this  giant  crevice.  Limpid  pools  of 
alkaline  water  lay  teeming  beneath  the  blistering 
suns  rays,  their  white  salty  rim  unmarked  by  the 
footprints  of  any  living  thing,  accursed  by  nature 
and  abhorred  by  all  God's  creatures,  wasting  their 
contents  by  evaporation  during  the  summer,  and 
replenished  by  the  torrents  that  rushed  through  this 
abandoned  water  course  during  the  annual  spring 
thaw. 

That  it  had  been  a  water  course  was  evidenced 
by  the  beds  of  well  worn  gravel,  devoid  of  all  soil, 
and  the  marks  of  the  constant  wash  of  the  waves  on 
the  face  of  the  cliffs  on  either  side.  Who  knows 
but  what  at  some  remote  period  the  mighty  Columbia 
river  had  flowed  through  this  grand  coulee,  emptying 
into  an  inland  sea,  the  bed  of  which  now  formed 
the  desert  of  almost  a  million  acres,  destined  to  be 
the  home  of  half  as  many  people?  Flowing  thus 
for  ages,  nourishing  plants  now  unknown;  its  limpid 
waters,  cooling  and  refreshing  the  prehistoric  mon- 


54  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

sters  that  came  daily  to  drink  at  its  brink;  sheltering 
beneath  its  rippling  waves  species  of  fish  now  extinct, 
their  fossalized  forms  only  remaining  to  remind  us 
of  the  mighty  changes  that  have  taken  place.  Flow 
ing  peacefully  on,  secure  in  its  mightiness,  yet  all 
the  while  somewhere  along  its  course  was  being 
assembled  the  power  that  wrought  this  change,  the 
terrific  force  in  the  nature  of  gases  generated  far 
in  the  depths  of  the  earth.  It  might  be  thousands 
of  miles  away,  conducted  through  unknown  channels 
and  crevices,  seeking  the  point  of  least  resistance, 
forced  hither  and  thither  by  the  ever  incrasing  pres 
sure,  until  a  subterranean  cavity  is  formed  by  a 
slight  upheaval  or  displacement  of  the  stratification. 
Into  this  rush  the  gases,  followed  by  the  raging  fires, 
until  further  resistance  is  impossible.  The  im 
prisoned  demon  crouches  in  narrow  confines,  trapped 
at  last;  and  with  a  mighty  shudder,  the  effects  of 
which  are  felt  on  the  surface,  causing  the  ponderous 
mastodon  to  halt  unsteadily,  and  raising  his  gigantic 
head  in  alarm,  sounds  a  note  of  warning,  and  fol 
lowed  by  his  herd,  rushes  madly  through  the  mass 
of  huge  ferns  in  search  of  safety. 

The  imprisoned  force,  no  longer  able  to  confine 
its  strength,  furiously  gathers  its  reenforcement, 
and  with  terrific,  thunderous  roar,  forces  the  crust 
and  breaks  through,  tearing  asunder  this  sphere 
that  has  taken  eons  to  form,  disgorging  in  firy 
torrents  upon  the  surface  of  half  a  continent  the 
contents  of  its  seething  cauldron. 

Back  rush  the  floods  of  the  Columbia,  as  if  aghast 
at  the  havoc  wrought;  stays  its  flow  but  for  a 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  55 

moment,  and  charges  this  indomitable  foe  that  dares 
to  impede  its  progress,  and  pours  its  waters,  now 
made  black  and  muddy  by  the  tons  of  ashes  and 
stone  sent  hurtling  into  its  waves,  into  the  thousands 
of  crevices  and  fissures  trying  in  vain  to  throttle 
this  firy  demon  who  greets  the  oncoming  stream 
with  flaming  tongue,  converts  it  into  steam  and 
additional  power  with  which  it  throws  out  huge 
volumes  of  mud  that  seal  the  crevices  and  cool  the 
lava  about  its  glaring  throat,  thus  using  its  enemy 
to  erect  a  barrier  against  itself.  Hopelessly  de 
feated,  the  mighty  river  seeks  a  course  whereby  it 
may  reach  its  former  terminus,  the  inland  sea.  It 
wanders  on  with  indefatigable  persistence,  taking 
the  abandoned  beds  of  some  of  its  former  tributaries ; 
follows  it  until  overtaking  the  original  stream  at 
some  unaccustomed  place,  absorbs  it  and  hurries  on 
its  way  over  boulders  and  through  canyons  and 
gorges,  rapids  and  cataracts  harrassing  its  waters 
in  a  manner  heretofore  unknown.  In  its  wild  flight 
it  makes  a  detour  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles, 
appropriates  the  channel  of  another  stream,  and 
turns  back  toward  the  inland  sea,  still  determined 
to  do  its  part  in  replenishing  this  vast  storage  place. 
Upon  reaching  its  western  boundary,  oh!  what  a 
change  had  taken  place.  Stretching  away  as  far  as 
could  be  seen  was  a  mass  of  oozing  matter,  decaying 
seaweed  and  pools  of  slimy  water,  heated  to  almost 
boiling,  reeking  with  the  stench  of  dead  fish,  the 
whole  being  sprinkled  with  cinders  and  ashes,  and 
teeming  with  muck  and  filth. 


56  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

A  break  in  the  southern  boundary  of  the  former 
body  of  water  showed  where  a  fissure  had  been 
opened  up,  through  which  its  contents  had  drained, 
following  the  outlet  until  it  had  emptied  into  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  The  noble  Columbia,  unable  to  gain 
access  to  refill  the  basin,  took  up  the  course  of  the 
liberated  deluge  and  followed  resignedly  in  its  wake. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  57 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  third  day  out  the  harvesters  reached  the  scene 
of  action  in  the  grain  fields,  and  by  noon  of  that  day 
had  found  employment,  the  entire  party  being  en 
gaged  for  the  season  with  promise  of  work  for  their 
horses.  This  was  indeed  an  agreeable  surprise.  They 
had  expected  to  remain  in  the  same  neighborhood, 
but  to  be  employed  together  was  more  than  they  had 
hoped  for. 

The  afternoon  of  the  same  day  they  drove  to  the 
home  of  their  employer.  Here  the  scene  that  greeted 
them  was  something  of  a  disappoinment  to  them,  as 
the  home  of  the  wheat  grower  was  but  little  better 
than  their  own  desert  shacks,  save  that  it  had  one 
redeeming  feature,  an  abundance  of  water.  A  well, 
surmounted  by  a  large  windmill,  was  located  near  the 
center  of  a  large  enclosure,  and  was  the  attraction  for 
a  number  of  horses  and  cattle.  A  few  lazy  hogs 
wallowed  contentedly  in  the  mud  beneath  the  long 
watering  trough,  into  which  flowed,  with  fitful  gushes, 
at  each  stroke  of  the  slender  pumprod,  a  stream  of 
pure  cold  water,  which  was  consumed  by  the  waiting 
stock  or  allowed  to  overflow  at  will  from  the  trough. 
The  large  barn,  the  dilapidated  machine  shed,  and 
the  typical  home  of  the  wheat  grower  was  complete. 
No,  not  complete.  There  was  yet  another  object.  It 
was  locatd  in  the  further  corner  of  the  barn  yard. 


58  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

It  was  an  old  wagon,  with  huge  frame  mounted  upon 
it.  This  frame  was  covered  with  flimsy,  dirty  canvas, 
and  had  a  stovepipe  protruding  from  the  top.  From 
a  door  in  the  back,  three  narrow  rickety  steps  reached 
down  to  the  ground  as  if  inviting  one  to  enter,  and  at 
the  same  time  daring  them  to  take  the  chance.  Off 
to  one  side  was  a  pile  of  sagebrush,  with  a  broken 
handled  axe  near  by,  and  a  barrel  of  stale  water  with 
a  tin  cup  hung  by  a  piece  of  wire  over  its  chime,  two 
tin  basins  laying  upon  the  ground,  while  to  a  nail 
driven  in  the  corner  post  of  the  canvas  covered  struc 
ture  hung  a  piece  of  sack  twine  with  a  twisted  alum 
inum  comb  dangling  at  its  ends,  and  a  dirty  towel 
which  the  constant  action  of  the  wind  kept  from 
becoming  rigid  and  stiff.  This  was  the  "cook  house/* 
where  the  toilers  were  to  get  their  meals  during  the 
harvest. 

With  faint  misgivings  at  the  uninviting  prospects 
the  strangers,  beholding  the  broad  acres  of  grain  now 
just  turning  to  gold  on  the  high  ground,  and  grad 
ually  shading  to  a  dark  green  in  the  swails  and  hol 
lows,  and  extending  over  from  one  and  a  half  to  two 
or  three  sections  of  rich  land,  asked  themselves  why 
conditions  were  not  better. 

The  men  already  engaged  at  harvesting  on  this 
wheat  ranch  not  yet  having  come  in  from  their  day's 
work,  our  party  cared  for  their  horses  and  strolled 
about  the  place,  wondering  at  the  absence  of  signs 
of  lif«,  but  being  unfamiliar  with  such  conditions, 
among  the  stalks  of  heavily  headed  grain  that  reached 
to  their  shoulders,  and  taking  the  plump,  well  filled 
heads  in  their  hands,  fondled  them  lovingly,  and  their 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  59 

minds  went  back  to  their  own  desert  homes,  to  their 
lonesome  wives  and  children,  and  asked  themselves 
if  the  time  would  ever  come  when  their  land  would 
produce  such  a  bounteous  yield,  and  thought  with 
proud  satisfaction  of  how,  in  case  of  such  an  event, 
they  would  remain  at  home  and  enjoy  the  sweet  sound 
of  the  harvest  machinery  as  it  garnered  for  them  and 
theirs. 

Wonderingly  they  waited  for  someone  to  come, 
some  friendly  voice  to  greet  them,  if  not  in  profuse 
welcome,  to  at  least  tell  them  where  they  were  to  put 
their  few  effects  and  where  they  were  to  receive  the 
accommodation  that,  being  strangers,  they  had  every 
reason  to  expect.  They  had  brought  their  blankets, 
it  was  true,  but  it  was  with  the  view  to  using  them 
while  camping  out.  They  little  realized  that,  had  they 
not  brought  them,  they  would  have  been  provided 
with  little  more  accommodation  than  a  beast  of  burden. 

The  sun  went  down  and  they  sauntered  back  to 
the  barn  yard,  where  they  had  left  their  wagon,  and 
loitered  around  it  with  a  fondness  due  the  only  fam 
iliar  object  in  sight.  Still  no  one  came.  From  the 
grain  field  the  clicking  of  the  sickle  as  it  mowed  down 
the  grain  could  be  plainly  heard,  wafted  from  afar 
on  the  rapidly  cooling  twilight  breeze.  Travis  Gully 
arose  from  his  seat  on  the  wagon  pole  as  if  moved 
by  some  uncontrollable  impulse,  and  going  around  to 
the  side  of  the  wagon,  threw  back  the  rolls  of  blankets 
and  drew  forth  the  old  canvas  telescope  grip.  Taking 
it  fondly  in  his  rough  hands,  he  knelt  beside  it  on  the 
ground,  unloosened  the  straps,  removed  the  tablet  and 
envelopes,  and  taking  from  his  overall  pocket  a  stub 


60  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

of  a  pencil,  resumed  his  seat  and  began  to  write,  with 
a  slow  cramped  movement,  the  first  letter  home. 
Slowly  he  poured  out  from  his  own  burdened  heart 
the  cry  of  a  distressed  soul. 

The  remaining  members  of  the  party,  realizing 
that  this  was  to  be  the  anxiously  looked  for  first  news, 
sent  loving  messages  to  their  homes.  No  mention  was 
made  of  the  tiresome  trip,  of  the  forbidding  aspect 
of  their  first  employment;  just  a  letter  of  encourage 
ment,  reassuring  them  of  their  success,  and  hopes  for 
a  profitable  season  and  safe  return.  "Simple  enough," 
you  might  say,  but  oh!  what  relief  to  the  pent  up 
feelings  of  those  sturdy  homebuilders. 

Think,  if  you  can,  of  what  might  have  been  written 
and  read  between  the  lines,  of  the  anguish  and  un 
certainty  that  was  tugging  at  the  heart  strings  of 
each  of  them,  knowing,  as  they  did,  the  conditions 
under  which  they  had  left  their  families;  out  alone 
on  the  desert,  realizing  that  they,  themselves,  knew 
absolutely  nothing  of  the  duties  they  would  be  called 
upon  to  perform  on  the  morrow,  and  tell  me  if  you 
do  not  agree  with  me  when  I  say  that  there,  in  the 
evening  shades,  under  environments  that  would  try 
the  strength  of  the  bravest,  was  not  endured  to  the 
fullest  extent,  misery. 

The  letter  was  finished,  and  after  placing  it  in 
the  envelope,  Gully  sat  with  it  in  his  hand  and  gazed 
thoughtfuly  at  the  address.  The  iron  molder  lit  his 
pipe  and  moved  off  in  the  direction  of  the  barn;  the 
professor  and  the  soldier  arose  and  strolled  to  the 
well;  all  silent,  lost  in  their  own  thoughts,  the  nature 
of  which  can  only  be  guessed. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  61 

The  sudden  opening  of  a  door  at  the  main  house 
aroused  them  from  their  reverie,  and  turning  in  the 
direction  of  the  noise,  they  saw  a  woman  come  out 
and  secure  an  armful  of  stovewood  and  reenter  the 
building.  In  a  few  moments  a  dense  smoke  was 
emitted  from  the  stovepipe,  an  indication  that  supper 
was  being  prepared.  Darkness  was  fast  obscuring  the 
landscape,  and  from  the  distant  field  the  conversation 
of  the  men  returning  from  their  work  could  be  plainly 
heard,  and  mingling  with  it  were  the  sounds  of 
rattling  chains  and  creaking  harness.  Upon  their 
arrival  at  the  barnyard,  and  while  some  of  the  horses 
were  still  drinking  at  the  well,  a  man  was  seen  to 
emerge  from  the  house  bearing  a  lighted  lantern,  and 
go  to  the  barn,  where  other  lanterns  were  lighted  and 
carried  about  by  the  men. 

Our  friends  went  to  the  barn  and  upon  making 
their  presence  known,  were  greeted  with  a  tired 
"Howdy  do"  from  the  workers,  as  they  unharnessed 
and  distributed  grain  among  their  horses. 

The  owner  of  the  wheat  ranch,  for  it  was  he  who 
had  come  from  the  house  with  a  lighted  lantern, 
came  hurriedly  up,  and  after  pointing  out  a  row 
of  empty  stalls,  instructed  the  strangers  to  put  their 
horses  inside.  This  they  gladly  did,  after  which  the 
lanterns  were  hung  on  pegs  outside  the  barn  and 
the  workmen  disappeared  in  the  darkness.  Our 
friends,  hearing  sounds  at  the  well,  went  there  and 
found  several  of  the  men  stripped  to  their  waists, 
washing  the  dust  and  perspiration  in  the  trough  and 
drying  their  faces  on  large  red  handkerchiefs  with 
which  they  had  mopped  their  faces  during  the  heat 
3* 


62  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

of  the  day.  As  they  completed  their  ablutions,  they 
disappeared,  until  there  was  but  one  who,  upon 
raising  his  streaming  face  from  its  immersion  in 
the  trough,  inquired  of  our  friends:  "You  fellows 
had  supper."  Upon  being  assured  they  had  not,  he 
advised  them  to  "wash  up,  and  come  on  down  to 
the  cook  house,"  the  location  of  which  was  easy, 
owing  to  the  light  which  shone  through  the  canvas 
cover,  bringing  out  in  bold  relief  the  silhouette 
figures  of  several  men  seated  at  the  table,  with 
elbows  in  the  air,  working  industriously,  making 
way  with  generous  portions  of  food,  as  was  indi 
cated  by  the  shadows  of  dark  objects  before  them. 
Thoroughly  tired  and  hungry,  not  being  accus 
tomed  to  waiting  until  this  unseemly  hour  for  their 
evening  meal,  they  followed  their  new  acquaintance 
and  mounted  the  rickety  stairs  leading  up  to  the 
entrance  of  the  cook  house.  They  were  astonished 
at  the  arrangement  of  the  interior;  every  available 
inch  of  space  was  taken  up  and  made  to  serve  some 
purpose.  The  forward  end  of  the  canvas  structure 
was  partitioned  off  and  used  for  a  kitchen — the  rear 
portion,  with  a  table  running  the  full  length,  served 
as  the  dining  room — while  boards,  fastened  with 
hinges  to  either  side,  could  be  either  raised  or 
lowered,  doing  duty  as  seats.  The  sides  of  the 
structure  was  so  arranged  that  the  upper  portion 
could  be  swung  outward  and  propped,  thus  being 
converted  into  awnings  and  at  the  same  time  afford 
ing  ventilation.  Immediately  over  the  table  and 
drawn  up  to  the  top  of  the  canvas  canopy  by  means 
of  a  rope  fastened  to  each  corner,  and  running 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  63 

through  pulleys,  was  a  woven  wire  bed  spring.  This 
could  be  lowered  at  night  and  was  the  sleeping  place 
of  "my  lady,"  the  cook,  a  haggard,  sad-eyed  indi 
vidual,  the  widow  of  an  unfortunate  homesteader 
who,  unable  to  endure  the  hardships  of  a  pioneer, 
had  gone  to  his  reward  the  summer  before. 

When  the  first  two  members  of  our  party  had 
entered  the  cook  house  the  rest  were  compelled  to 
remain  outside  until  some  of  those  who  had  finished 
vacated,  for  when  the  table  was  filled  those  who 
went  in  first  had  to  remain  seated  until  the  last 
one  who  entered  had  finished  his  meal. 

The  food  was  abundant  and  good,  well  cooked 
and  served,  when  you  take  into  consideration  the 
difficulties  under  which  it  was  prepared,  and  was 
eaten  by  the  tired  and  overworked  harvesters  in  a 
manner  indicating  a  complete  indifference  to  after 
effect.  When  supper  was  finished,  there  being  no 
opportunity  for  gaining  information,  the  hour  being 
late,  our  friends  returned  to  their  wagon,  unrolled 
their  blankets,  and  lay  down  to  ponder  over  this 
unheard  of  way  of  treating  hired  help.  But  not  for 
long.  Being  fatigued  to  the  limit  of  human  endur 
ance,  they  fell  asleep,  with  the  faint  sound  of  -the 
clatter  of  tin  pans  and  cups  that  emanated  from 
the  cook  house  and  the  incessant  rattle  of  the  wind 
mill  dinning  in  their  ears. 


64  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  VII. 

When  morning  came — not  morning  proper — but 
it  was  sometime  after  midnight,  Travis  Gully  was 
awakened  by  the  sound  of  someone  cutting  wood. 
Peering  from  beneath  his  blankets,  he  saw  a  lighted 
lantern  at  the  cook  house.  Other  lanterns  were 
being  carried  to  and  fro  among  the  horses  in  the 
barn.  Sleepy  individuals  were  crawling  out  from 
every  conceivable  place — from  the  hay  mow  and 
machine  shed,  carrying  their  inseparable  blanket 
rolls.  At  the  well  men  were  busily  pumping  water 
by  hand,  the  wind  having  died  down  during  the 
night.  Not  being  sufficiently  awake  to  fully  realize 
the  meaning  of  this  activity,  Travis  Gully  stretched 
his  tired  limbs,  rolled  over,  gave  his  blankets  an 
extra  tuck  and  drifted  away  in  slumber.  Not  long, 
however,  was  he  allowed  to  remain  in  this  condition, 
for  he  was  suddenly  startled  from  his  dreams  by  a 
gruff  voice  shouting:  "Roll  out,  here,  you  fellows,*' 
and  started  to  a  sitting  position,  with  tired  sleepy 
eyes  blinking  in  the  bright  glare  of  the  lantern  light, 
he  behld  the  boss  standing  over  them,  smiling 
amusedly  at  their  bewildered  looks.  Their  first  day 
in  the  harvest  field  had  begun,  the  first  of  many 
just  such  days  that  were  to  follow  before  they  could 
return  to  their  homes,  and  during  the  long  winter 
evenings  recount  to  the  eager  listening  wife  and 
children  the  varied  experiences  through  which  they 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  65 

had  passed,  embellishing  each  little  incident  with  a 
tinge  of  humor  that  could  not  be  appreciated  at  the 
time  of  its  occurrence. 

Dressing  hurriedly,  they  went  to  the  barn  to 
care  for  their  horses  and  found  them  munching  con 
tentedly  at  their  morning  feed,  which  had  already 
been  given  them.  Seeing  the  other  men  busily  har 
nessing  their  teams  they,  without  question,  did  like 
wise,  resolving  to  be  governed  in  their  actions  by 
the  example  of  the  older  hands;  they  waited  expec 
tantly  for  each  move.  One  of  the  men,  more  con 
genial  than  the  others  had  proven,  asked  them  how 
they  had  slept.  Upon  being  told,  he  suggested  that 
they  bring  their  blankets  into  the  hay  mow  where, 
he  assured  them,  they  would  be  more  comfortable. 
This  was  the  first  intimation  they  had  that  they  were 
not  to  be  provided  with  a  bed,  but  must  choose  their 
own  resting  place.  They  were  soon  to  realize  that 
the  hours  for  rest  were  as  scant  as  the  accommo 
dations  for  enjoying  them,  and  adapted  themselves 
to  prevailing  conditions.  So  after  converting  the 
watering  trough  into  a  lavatory  for  making  their 
morning  toilet,  they  proceeded  with  the  rest  of  the 
men  to  the  cook  house  for  breakfast;  after  which, 
having  no  special  duty  assigned  them,  they  were  at 
a  loss  to  know  how  to  proceed.  It  being  yet  dark, 
they  stood  awkwardly  around,  while  some  of  the 
men  brought  out  their  teams,  watered  them,  and 
springing  upon  one  of  the  horses  rode  back  in  the 
direction  from  which  they  had  come  the  evening 
before. 


66  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

They  did  not  remain  long  in  doubt,  however,  for 
the  owner  of  the  ranch  came  from  the  house  and 
instructed  them  to  follow  the  road  over  the  hill, 
where  they  were  heading  grain,  and  to  await  his 
arrival,  adding  that  their  horses  would  be  sent  out 
later  by  one  of  the  boys,  who  would  drive  them 
while  on  the  job.  This  arrangement  was  a  dis 
appointment  to  Gully,  who  had  hoped  that  he  might 
be  permitted  to  drive  them,  but  he  made  no  com 
plaint,  and  they  did  as  they  were  bidden. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  place  indicated  by  the 
owner,  they  found  the  header  with  the  horses  hitched 
ready  for  starting.  Three  header  boxes  were  await 
ing  the  arrival  of  teams  and  drivers.  A  circle  had 
been  cut  in  a  large  area  of  ripe  grain  and  a  few 
loads  piled  in  the  center,  indicating  where  the  stack 
setting  was  to  be  made.  The  driver  of  the  heading 
machine,  or  "header  puncher,"  as  he  was  called,  was 
groping  around  in  the  uncertain  light,  oiling  up  or 
adjusting  the  drapers  or  elevator  canvas. 

In  a  few  moments  a  wagon  came  from  the  house 
with  a  barrel  of  water,  a  few  additional  pitchforks, 
and  some  extra  parts  of  machinery  that  might  be 
needed  in  case  of  a  breakdown.  Our  friends  were 
assigned  their  respective  duties;  Gully  was  to  be 
stacker,  the  molder  as  "spike  pitch"  or  helper  in  the 
stack  yard,  the  professor  was  "loader,"  and  the 
soldier  was  given  a  pitchfork  and  sent  to  turn  the 
grain  in  the  "backswarth,"  a  narrow  strip  cut  around 
the  entire  field  before  the  regular  heading  is  begun. 
This  is  usually  cut  green  and  allowed  to  cure  for  hay. 
So  with  their  horses  being  driven  to  a  header  box 
the  siege  had  begun. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  67 

For  five  weeks,  each  day  being  identical,  days  of 
constant  grind,  short  nights,  and  three  trips  to  the 
cook  house,  days  of  blistering  heat,  the  sunrays 
being  intensified  by  concentration  and  reflection  from 
the  shining  surface  of  the  glistening  straw.  The 
light  soil,  mostly  volcanic  ash,  being  pounded  and 
loosened  by  the  constant  tramping  of  the  horses  in 
their  many  trips  to  and  from  header  to  stack;  lifted 
high  at  each  turn  of  the  "bullwheel"  of  the  header 
and  sent  flying  in  stifling  clouds,  clogging  the  eyes, 
ears,  nose  and  mouths  of  the  workers,  while  trickling 
streams  of  perspiration  from  beneath  their  hatbands 
washed  furrows  through  the  accumulated  mass  on 
their  faces. 

The  first  week  of  this  toil  tried  the  spirit  of  our 
party  almost  to  the  breaking  point.  Night  would 
find  them  bowed  down  with  aching  backs  from  the 
unaccustomed  strain  of  pitching  the  heavy  grain; 
hands  numb  and  cramped,  with  blistered  palms; 
throats  dry  and  parched  from  the  intense  heat  and 
dust  from  the  straw.  They  would  sink  down  upon 
their  blankets  in  the  hay  mow  and  sleep  the  sleep  of 
utter  exhaustion,  but  the  hopes  of  our  homesteaders 
were  being  constantly  revived  by  the  receipt  of 
encouraging  letters  from  home. 

Opportunities  for  getting  these  letters  mailed 
were  few,  it  was  explained,  but  by  sending  them  to 
the  camp  of  the  surveyors  they  were  taken  to  the 
distant  town  and  forwarded;  and  such  news  as  they 
brought.  "All  are  well  at  home.  Do  not  worry;  we 
are  doing  splendidly.  Of  course  we  miss  you  very 
much  and  want  you  with  us,  but  when  you  do  come 


68  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

home,  you  can  stay.  Just  think,  a  party  of  the  sur 
veyors  were  on  our  land  today  and  have  driven 
stakes  showing  exactly  where  the  irrigation  ditch  is 
to  run."  Thus  wrote  Gully's  wife,  and  others  would 
tell  of  rumors  of  large  land  deals,  whole  sections 
and  half  of  townships,  being  purchased  by  big  com 
panies,  all  to  be  immediately  improved.  Houses 
were  being  erected  in  every  direction;  parcels  of 
land  heretofore  considered  worthless  were  being  filed 
on;  a  school  house  was  being  built  and,  really,  things 
were  beginning  to  be  quite  homelike. 

Upon  receipt  of  these  cheerful  missives  the  dis 
appointment  of  the  first  season  was  for  the  time 
forgotten,  and  the  men  entered  into  their  daily  toil 
with  cheerful  hearts,  filled  with  the  anticipation  of 
the  realization  of  their  dreams.  Thus  on  through 
the  ensuing  threshing  season  up  until  the  later  fall, 
when  it  seemed  that  a  snowfall  might  occur  any 
day,  did  our  sturdy  homesteaders  toil  on  until  the 
last  of  the  golden  grain  was  sacked  and  hauled  to 
a  place  of  safety.  Then  only  did  they  turn  their 
faces  homeward,  with  the  indispensable  blanket  rolls, 
the  old  canvas  telescope  grip,  now  more  dilapidated 
than  ever,  thrown  at  random  in  the  wagon;  with 
overalls  out  a  knee,  the  frazzled  threads  of  many 
colored  patches  indicating  the  earnest  efforts  of  their 
wearers  to  make  them  last  the  season  through;  hats 
out  at  crown,  and  well  worn  shoes,  they  were  indeed 
a  travesty  on  the  party  who  had  left  their  homes 
only  a  few  months  before.  But  each  sun  tanned 
face  was  wreathed  in  smiles,  for  securely  tucked 
away  in  those  well  worn  overalls  was  a  snug  sum, 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  69 

their  harvest  wages,  that  insured  them  and  their 
loved  ones  against  want  during  the  coming  winter. 
They  were  going  to  their  "own  homes."  They 
did  not  have  to  move  or  worry  about  a  new  location 
for  the  following  year;  things  were  different  now. 
This  money  they  had  earned,  hard  earned,  it  was 
true.  Think  of  the  many  comforts  it  would  buy — 
shoes  for  the  little  ones,  and  much  provisions,  and 
by  judicious  expenditure  additions  might  be  made 
to  their  homes.  They  could  at  least  weatherboard 
them  and  make  them  more  comfortable.  Such  were 
the  thoughts  and  suggestions  that  filled  the  minds 
of  these  faithful  home  builders  throughout  the  first 
day  of  their  journey  home. 


70  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

I  have  often  wondered,  as  no  doubt  many  of  my 
readers  have,  what  there  is  in  a  man's  nature  that 
makes  him  blush  and  feel  ashamed  of  doing  a  little 
act  that  is  in  every  respect  perfectly  natural,  and 
one,  that  if  publicly  known,  would  raise  him  in  the 
estimation  of  his  fellow  men,  and  yet  while  con 
demning  himself  for  his  weakness,  his  heart  actually 
throbs  with  the  pleasure  he  derives  from  doing  as 
he  has  done. 

The  first  day  on  their  return  journey  from  the 
harvest  field  was  a  joyous  one,  the  relaxation  from 
the  strain  and  the  diversion  acting  as  an  elixir. 
Freed  from  the  noise  of  clattering  machinery  out 
upon  the  highway,  and  relieved  of  the  sight  of  miles 
of  brown  fields  of  stubble,  our  friends  rejoiced  at 
the  sight  of  the  desert  with  its  thousands  of  acres  of 
bunch  grass  and  sagebrush  that  stretched  far  ahead 
of  them  to  the  foothills,  there  to  be  met  by  the  dark 
green  shade  of  the  mountain  pine  and  fir,  above 
which  shone  in  all  its  glittering  splendor  the  eternal 
snow  on  the  mountain  peaks.  They  spoke  in  endear 
ing  terms  of  the  mighty  wilderness  as  theirs,  as  if 
little  realizing  that  the  small  portion  of  that  vast 
domain  to  which  they  actually  held  claim  was  insig 
nificant. 

They  had  chosen  a  different  route  by  which  to 
make  their  return,  one  that  lead  them  through  a 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  71 

small  village  situated  at  the  edge  of  the  desert.  It 
was  here  that  the  last  night  out  from  home  was 
spent,  and  here  too  was  demonstrated  the  peculiar 
traits  of  man's  character  referred  to  at  the  opening 
of  this  chapter. 

After  the  establishment  of  the  camp  for  the 
night  and  after  the  team  had  been  cared  for,  Travis 
Gully  was  noticeably  restless,  and  at  length  wandered 
away  from  his  companions  and  entered  the  village 
store.  No  thought  of  his  own  disheveled  appearance 
entered  his  mind.  It  was  of  the  dear  wife  and  little 
ones  he  thought.  The  morrow  would  see  him  with 
them,  and  the  long  summer's  watching  and  waiting 
would  be  at  an  end.  What  more  natural  than  that 
he  should  wish  to  take  some  little  token  to  the 
children  and  to  her,  who  had  borne  the  burden  of 
the  long  summer's  separation  that  they  might  retain 
their  homestead? 

He  thought  of  her  as  he  had  last  seen  her,  as 
she  stood  at  the  camp  near  the  well,  struggling  to 
withhold  the  tears  that  he  know  too  well  had  flown 
many  times  since  he  left.  He  recalled  the  pitiful 
effort  she  had  made  to  dress  for  the  occasion  of  his 
departure;  of  her  brown  dress,  her  best  dress,  the 
one  that  had  been  carefuly  made,  stitch  by  stitch, 
in  preparation  for  their  long  journey  from  their 
old  home  to  the  land  of  promise;  how  it  had  with 
stood  the  days  of  constant  wear  while  she  was 
cramped  up  in  the  tourist  coach,  being  whirled  away 
across  the  continent,  and  how  guardedly  she  had 
spread  the  cloth  upon  her  lap  to  protect  the  precious 
fabric  from  being  soiled  by  the  touch  of  many  little 


72  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

fingers  made  greasy  by  clutching  the  huge  sand 
wiches  of  fried  chicken,  ham  and  cheese,  with  which 
the  spacious  hamper,  their  traveling  companion,  was 
bounteously  provisioned;  and  how  after  their  arrival, 
and  while  seeking  a  suitable  location,  it  had  been 
subjected  to  countless  brushings  and  spongings,  until 
at  last  it  bore  all  too  plainly  the  evidences  of  the 
hard  usages  to  which  it  had  'been  called  up  to 
submit.  And  yet,  it  was  still  her  best. 

She  should  have  a  new  dress,  one  that  he  himself 
had  bought,  and  without  hesitating  he  approached 
the  expectant  merchant  to  make  known  his  wants, 
and  here  his  confusion  was  made  evident.  Never 
having  made  a  purchase  of  this  nature,  he  was  at  a 
loss  as  to  quantity,  quality  and  color.  After  numerous 
suggestions  from  the  over-anxious  merchant  a  selec 
tion  was  made,  the  required  number  of  yards  guessed 
at  and  measured  off.  Then  after  purchasing  a  small 
carton  of  animal  crackers  and  some  peanuts  and 
candy  for  each  of  the  children,  he  paid  the  amount 
of  his  purchase,  and  with  his  precious  bundles  tucked 
beneath  his  arm  sought  the  camping  place. 

As  he  approached  the  camp  fire  around  which  his 
companions  were  seated,  he  was  seized  with  a  desire 
to  hide  his  bundles  lest  they  might  jeer  him  good- 
naturedly  about  his  extravagance.  He  tried  to  reach 
the  wagon  by  a  circuitous  route  to  avoid  observation 
until  he  had  hidden  his  bundles.  In  this  effort  he 
was  partially  successful,  but  the  others  had  seen 
him  in  time  to  arouse  their  suspicions,  and  they 
accused  him  of  buying  a  new  suit.  To  this  he 
entered  a  strenuous  denial,  but  looked  guilty  and 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  73 

felt  uncomfortable  the  remainder  of  the  evening.  He 
did  not  join  in  the  conversation  that  followed  his 
arrival,  but  sat,  as  the  firelight  died  down,  and 
watched  across  the  barren  waste  for  the  first  twink 
ling  light  that  might  give  evidence  that  human  beings 
inhabitated  this  vast  region  of  hidden  possibilities. 

Thus  he  sat  long  after  the  other  members  of  the 
party  had  gone  to  bed,  sat  dreaming,  as  his  watchful 
gaze  centered  on  the  darkened  space  made  more  dense 
by  the  rays  of  the  fitful  flicker  of  the  dying  fire,  space 
that  for  the  lack  of  distinguishable  form  might  be 
likened  unto  a  yawning  cavern,  a  bottomless  abyss, 
whose  only  known  content  was  stygian  darkness.  Was 
it  into  the  unsatiable  maw  of  this  monstrous  dungeon 
by  night  and  inferno  by  day  that  he  had  allowed 
himself  and  loved  ones  to  be  drawn;  unwittingly, 
it  was  true,  but  as  irrestistably  as  a  disabled  craft 
into  the  vortex  of  some  mighty  whirlpool,  carried 
around  and  around  the  outer  circle,  fascinated  by 
the  charm  of  the  smooth  gliding  movement.  Sud 
denly  the  arc  of  the  circle  decreases,  and  looking 
further  toward  the  center,  other  objects  are  seen, 
but  it  is  noted  that  they  seem  to  be  moving  more 
rapidly.  Why  this  increased  speed?  Is  the  goal  in 
sight,  or  has  their  proximity  to  the  desired  end 
given  them  a  vantage  view?  Ah!  they  will  keep 
speed  with  the  large  object  just  ahead  of  their 
craft;  perhaps  they  can  learn  what  motive  drew 
them  to  this  delightful  place.  But  a  moment,  a 
pause,  a  quiver  and  a  plunge  downward;  one  mighty 
wail  of  despair,  followed  by  a  gurgling  sound  of 
gluttenous  satisfaction,  and  they  realize  too  late 


74  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

their  fate.  Casting  a  despairing  look  backward  to 
warn  those  in  sight  not  to  follow,  but  on  they  come, 
heedless  of  their  warning,  offering  themselves  un 
conscious  sacrifices  to  the  ever  increasing  demand 
for  new  territory  for  new  outlets,  for  the  ever  popu 
lated  districts  of  the  world. 

It  was  the  same  old  story.  The  pioneer  fighting 
the  first  great  fight,  blazing  the  trail  and  marking 
the  route  with  suffering,  tears  and  even  death,  that 
future  generations  might  follow  at  their  ease. 

Travis  Gully  wondered  if  he,  as  its  helmsman, 
had  allowed  his  craft  to  be  drawn  into  dangerous 
waters,  bearing  with  him  his  family,  the  precious 
passengers  whose  lives  had  been  intrusted  to  his 
care.  Had  he,  at  the  first  narrowing  of  the  circle, 
gone  and  left  them  in  this  vast  wilderness.  Was  it 
justice?  Were  they  safe?  A  few  more  hours  would 
tell.  And  let  the  conditions  in  the  future  be  what 
they  may,  he  would  never  leave  them  again.  With 
this  resolve,  and  with  a  feeling  of  comfortable  assur 
ance  that  his  leaving  would  not  again  become  neces 
sary  he,  with  one  more  look  to  see  that  his  bundles 
remained  where  he  had  hidden  them,  went  to  his  rest. 

Taking  advantage  of  an  early  start,  the  following 
morning  the  party  was  well  on  its  way  when  the 
sun  shone  above  the  jagged  ridge  of  hills  that  marked 
the  eastern  boundary  of  the  desert,  shown  as  mellow 
and  as  soft  as  the  spring  sunshine  in  their  old 
eastern  homes.  The  lateness  of  the  fall  season  had 
robbed  it  of  its  brassy  glare  and  the  cool  wind  that 
had  swept  over  the  valley  during  the  night  had 
driven  out  the  quivering  heat  units  with  which  the 
blistering  sands  had  been  surcharged. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  75 

The  drive  home  was  a  pleasant  one  and  good 
progress  was  made.  Everyone  was  intent  on  locat 
ing  at  the  very  earliest  possible  moment  the  wind 
mill,  surrounded  by  its  village  of  glistening  white 
tents,  that  they  were  sure  could  be  seen  for  miles. 
Numerous  windmills  were  in  sight  far  across  the 
plain,  but  none  that  they  could  distinguish  as  the 
one  marking  their  journey's  end. 

As  they  drew  nearer  to  their  homes,  and  after 
they  had  reentered  the  road  over  which  they  had 
made  their  outward  trip,  evidence  of  a  changed  con 
dition  was  everywhere  apparent.  New  houses,  their 
unpainted  outer  wall  reflecting  the  bright  sunrays, 
could  be  seen  for  miles;  hundreds  of  acres  had  been 
cleared  of  sagebrush,  and  small  mounds  of  white 
ashes  surrounded  by  charred  ends  of  brush  over 
which  the  reawakening  bunch  grass  waved,  showed 
where  the  bonfires  had  been  made.  In  some  instances 
many  acres  had  been  plowed  and  harrowed,  made 
ready  for  the  sowing  of  grain  that  would  immediately 
follow  the  first  of  the  winter's  rains.  This  evidence 
of  advancement  gladdened  the  hearts  of  our  worthy 
friends  and  speculation  was  rife  among  them  as 
to  the  probable  value  of  land  under  these  changed 
conditions. 

In  their  eagerness  to  reach  their  homes  no  stop 
was  made  for  lunch.  Water  for  their  horses  was 
obtained  from  a  newly  made  cistern  at  the  edge  of  a 
large  area  of  newly  plowed  land.  Evidence  of  a 
recently  abandoned  camp  was  near  at  hand,  but  no 
sign  of  life.  The  journey  was  resumed  after  watering 
the  horses  and  in  a  short  while  familiar  objects 


76  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

could  be  pointed  out,  and  in  some  instances  their 
individual  homes  could  be  located.  There  was  the 
old  windmill,  its  weather  stained  wheel  and  vane 
contrasting  strangely  with  other  windmills  that  glit 
tered  with  their  newness  on  adjoining  sections,  the 
old  landmark  that  had  withstood  the  onslaught  of 
the  terrific  wind  and  sand  storms  for  years,  warped 
by  the  intense  heat  of  the  blistering  desert  sun, 
drawing  with  tireless  energy  the  cool  sparkling  water 
from  the  depths  of  the  well  over  which  it  stood 
guard,  and  beckoning  to  the  chance  wayfarer  to 
come  and  partake  of  its  refreshing  draughts.  Thus 
it  had  stood,  known  as  "The  Windmill/'  the  friend 
of  every  stockman,  homesteader,  land  owner  or  wan 
dering  Indian  that  chanced  its  way  since  the  day, 
many  years  ago,  a  progressive  sheep  man,  seeing  the 
value  to  his  herds  of  this  extensive  grazing  ground, 
had  caused  to  be  hauled  for  many  miles,  across 
mountain,  stream  and  plain,  the  machinery  for  its 
erection,  for  the  establishment  of  this  oasis  in  the 
desert.  Unconscious  of  the  fact  that  he  was  erecting 
a  monument  to  himself  and  a  source  of  comfort  and 
blessings  to  hundreds  of  human  being  for  many  years 
to  follow. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  the  windmill  they  were  dis 
appointed  to  find  that  the  tents  were  gone;  the  party 
of  surveyors  had  left  the  field.  The  only  remaining 
evidence  of  their  having  been  there  was  an  occasional 
white  stake  driven  into  a  mound  of  earth,  marking 
a  corner,  or  an  iron  pipe  with  a  brass  cap  on  which 
was  recorded  the  elevation  above  sea  level.  The  busy 
groups  of  men,  the  hurrying  camp  wagons  and  pack 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  77 

trains,  were  missing,  so  the  anxiously  awaited  infor 
mation  as  to  the  probability  of  irrigation  in  the  near 
future  was  not  to  be  gotten. 

The  families  of  the  homesteaders  having  been 
informed  of  the  day  and  time  of  their  probable 
arrival,  had  assembled  at  the  well  to  greet  them. 
Travis  Gully's  wife  and  three  of  his  children  were 
there.  Being  unable  to  find  the  horses  that  had 
gotten  loose  upon  the  range,  they  had  walked  the 
three  miles  to  the  well  to  meet  him.  Ida,  the  eldest 
girl,  had  remained  at  home  to  care  for  the  youngest 
child,  who  was  too  small  to  take  the  trip. 

Here,  at  the  same  place  where  they  had  assembled 
a  few  months  before,  they  separated  and  went  to 
their  several  homes.  A  neighbor  whose  horses  had 
been  taken  on  the  trip  to  the  harvest  field  assisted 
Gully  and  his  family  to  reach  their  home.  As  they 
approached  the  house  the  children  who  had  been 
left  at  home  came  running  out  to  greet  them  with 
joyous  shouts  of  welcome. 

Thanking  his  friend  for  the  ride,  Gully  threw 
his  blanket  roll  from  the  wagon  and  sprang  down, 
seized  his  boy  in  his  arms,  lifted  him  high  on  his 
shoulder  and  marched  triumphantly  into  the  house. 
His  wife  having  taken  possession  of  the  canvas  grip, 
and  with  the  rest  of  the  children  eagerly  crowding 
around,  they  followed  him.  A  shaggy  tramp  dog 
who  had  come  unbidden,  a  self  constituted  guardian 
of  his  family  during  his  absence,  came  from  beneath 
the  kitchen  table,  sniffed  suspiciously  at  Gully's  over 
alls,  and  scenting  no  evidence  of  danger,  wagged 
his  tail  in  approval  and  returned  to  complete  his 


78  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

nap.  The  three  chickens  of  which  Joe  was  the  proud 
owner,  feeling  that  some  event  of  importance  was 
taking  place,  crowded  noisily  around  the  door. 

All  these  little  incidents  were  unnoticed  by  the 
tired  father  who,  now  being  seated,  was  in  a  fair 
way  of  being  smothered  by  the  demonstrations  of 
his  devoted  children.  Boisterously  they  crowded 
around  and  over  him,  plying  him  with  a  constant 
volley  of  questions  and  recitals  of  happenings  during 
his  absence.  The  mother,  forgetting  for  the  time 
the  long  months  of  anxious  waiting,  beamed  with 
satisfaction  on  this  happy  scene.  Curiosity  to  know 
the  contents  of  the  canvas  grip  soon  aroused  the 
children,  and  after  Gully  had  emerged  from  the  mass 
of  clinging  arms  and  tangled  locks,  he  directed  Joe 
to  bring  the  grip  to  him. 

Upon  receiving  the  grip,  and  with  his  children 
seated  around  him  on  the  bare  floor,  with  eager  and 
expectant  faces,  he  opened  it,  and  as  he  handed 
each  their  little  bundle  they  scampered  away  to 
investigate  its  contents.  He  handed  his  wife  the 
package  he  had  brought  for  her  and  asked  if  she 
could  guess  its  contents?  After  several  attempts  to 
do  so,  all  of  which  ended  in  failure,  she  opened  it, 
and  realizing  at  a  glance  the  nature  of  his  gift,  she 
was  speechless  with  pleasure,  and  with  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears,  she  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck 
and  laughed  with  girlish  glee.  For  the  first  time  in 
the  course  of  their  married  life  Minnie  Gully  had 
a  glimpse  of  her  husband's  heart. 

It  was  a  happy  family  that  gathered  around  the 
supper  table  that  evening.  After  the  meal  was 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  79 

eaten  and  the  dishes  removed  the  smaller  children 
brought  their  boxes  of  crackers,  cut  in  grotesque 
forms  of  various  animals,  and  arranged  them  in 
rows  to  correspond  with  their  idea  of  a  circus  parade, 
and  being  undismayed  by  the  failure  of  his  first  effort 
on  his  homestead  to  raise  a  crop,  dreamed  peacefully 
of  which  they  had  once  seen  a  picture.  The  mother 
and  two  eldest  girls  unrolled  the  goods  for  the  dress, 
and  holding  it  to  the  light,  admired  its  beauty  and 
discussed  how  it  had  best  be  made.  Gully  sat  silently 
smoking  his  pipe,  enjoying  for  the  first  time  a  feeling 
of  absolute  independence.  He  was  in  his  own  house, 
on  his  own  land,  with  funds  to  provide  for  the  winter, 
of  the  future. 

Late  into  the  night,  long  after  the  excited  chil 
dren  had  gone  to  sleep,  Gully  and  his  wife  sat  and 
planned  for  the  expenditure  of  the  sum  he  had 
earned  during  the  harvest  season.  They  talked  of 
the  many  requirements  of  the  children,  of  the  supply 
of  provisions  that  would  be  necessary  to  do  their 
family  until  spring.  Feed  had  to  be  purchased  for 
the  two  horses  with  which  it  had  been  necessary 
for  him  to  provide  himself  when  he  came  upon  the 
homestead.  If  the  snowfall  was  light  the  amount 
of  feed  required  would  be  correspondingly  small, 
but  should  the  snow  become  sufficiently  deep  to  hide 
the  bunch  grass  it  would  be  necessary  to  feed  the 
whole  winter  through.  Thus  they  planned,  making 
numberless  lists  of  necessary  purchases,  and  after 
comparing  the  amount  required  with  the  funds  on 
hand,  revised  and  readjusted  the  list  until  finally 
giving  up,  bewildered  but  happy,  they  went  to  their 
rest. 


80  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Travis  Gully  having  acquired  the  habit  of  early 
rising  during  his  sojourn  among  the  harvesters,  was 
awake  the  following  morning  before  the  rest  of  the 
family  was  astir.  He  lay  for  a  short  time  drowsing 
and  enjoying  the  unaccustomed  rest,  but  being  unable 
to  content  himself,  arose,  and  after  dressing  stepped 
outside  in  the  crisp  morning  air.  Daylight  was  just 
appearing  over  the  brow  of  the  hills  to  the  east,  a 
narrow  thread  of  silver  light  with  a  faint  tinge  of 
rosy  dawn.  The  deep  shades  of  night,  disappearing 
behind  the  peaks  of  the  Cascade  mountains  to  the 
west,  cast  their  purple  hues  over  the  snow  covered 
expanse  at  their  summit,  faded  away  and  were  lost 
amid  the  gloomy  blackness  of  the  heavily  timbered 
gorges  that  cut  deeply  down  their  sides  to  the 
Columbia  river. 

Lighting  his  pipe,  Gully  strolled  out  near  the 
cistern,  where,  seated  upon  an  upturned  barrel,  he 
breathed  with  exhilerating  delight  the  morning  air 
and  tried,  in  fancy,  to  picture  to  himself  what  the 
reclamation  of  the  thousands  of  acres  that  lay  before 
him  would  mean.  He  could  see  miles  of  just  such 
grain  as  he  had  been  helping  to  harvest,  and  long 
avenues  of  fruit  trees,  extending  across  the  clearing 
he  had  made  the  spring  before;  trees  like  those  he 
had  seen  growing  in  the  orchards  at  Wenatchee, 
where  he  had  made  his  first  stop.  The  little  strip  of 
land  that  lay  between  his  present  humble  home  and 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  81 

the  dusty  road,  then  no  longer  dusty,  but  a  glistening 
well  kept  highway  extending  away  in  the  distance 
until  lost  to  view  by  its  ever  decreasing  narrowness; 
this  little  strip  of  land  would  be  a  waving  mass  of 
luxuriant  alfalfa  through  which  would  wander  his 
cows,  horses  and  pigs. 

His  flights  of  imagination  suggested  to  his  mind 
a  number  of  comfortable  cottages  in  close  proximity 
to  his  own  then  pretentious  home,  in  which  were 
domiciled  each  of  his  children.  They  should  have 
homes  of  their  own. 

Travis  Gully  sat  dreaming  his  delightful  dreams 
of  the  future,  when  he  was  suddenly  brought  back 
to  a  realization  of  his  surroundings  by  a  hot  breath, 
immediately  followed  by  a  cold,  damp  muzzle  being 
thrust  against  his  hand.  Starting  suddenly  at  this 
rude  awakening,  he  frightened  away  the  faithful  old 
dog  who,  having  discovered  his  presence,  had 
approached  to  make  his  acquaintance.  Appreciating 
the  situation  at  a  glance,  Gully  spoke  kindly  to  the 
dog,  calling  him  back;  he  patted  him  on  the  head 
and  laughed  good  naturedly  at  his  shaggy,  woe 
begone  appearance,  and  promised  him  better  times 
for  the  future  than  he  had  evidently  been  accustomed 
to  in  the  past. 

It  was  now  day,  and  the  smoke  was  coming  from 
the  stoves  within  the  homes  of  some  of  his  neighbors. 
Upon  noting  this  fact,  he  went  inside  the  house,  and 
after  kindling  a  fire  in  his  own  kitchen  stove,  called 
to  his  wife,  who  having  been  awakened  by  his  move 
ments,  immediately  came  out  and  joined  him  in  the 
kitchen  door,  where  they  together  watched  the  rising 
sun  shed  its  splendor  over  the  scene. 


'  82  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

The  delight  of  having  their  father  with  them 
onoe  more  clung  to  the  family  throughout  the  day. 
His  every  movement  was  followed  by  the  joyous 
band  of  happy  children.  They  led  him  to  the  point 
where  the  surveyors  had  set  their  instruments  on 
their  land  and  showed  him  the  little  stakes  upon 
which  the  plumb  bob  had  been  centered,  and  which 
they  had  carefully  preserved,  telling  him  it  was  there 
the  water  was  to  flow.  They  told  him  of  the  many 
little  kindnesses  bestowed  upon  them  by  these  good 
men  who  were  to  provide  them  with  the  much  needed 
water,  of  how  they  had  carried  their  letters  to  and 
from  the  distant  post  office,  and  had  distributed 
pennies  among  the  smaller  children. 

Thus  the  constant  chatter  flowed,  each  little  inci 
dent  doing  its  part  to  reconstruct  the  tower  of  hope 
that  was  being  built,  and  in  which  Travis  Gully  and 
his  family  were  to  fortify  themselves  during  the 
coming  long  winter  months.  The  remaining  few 
days  of  pretty  weathr  could  not  be  wasted  in  idleness. 
The  trip  to  the  distant  town  for  supplies  must  be 
made;  the  cistern  must  be  refilled,  and  more  ground 
gotten  ready  for  seeding  before  the  frost  came.  All 
this  Gully  realized,  and  with  hopes  and  aspirations 
at  their  highest  point,  he  was  eager  to  begin  activities. 

The  horses  that  had  been  astray  for  several  days 
returned  for  water  and  were  taken  up  and  held  in 
readiness  for  daily  use.  The  second  day  after  Gully's 
return  being  Friday,  it  was  decided  by  he  and  his 
wife  that  the  trip  to  the  town  should  be  made  first, 
as  the  supplies  were  running  short.  They  were  to 
go  the  following  morning,  and  as  it  was  to  be  a  gala 
day  the  whole  family  was  going. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  83 

At  this  announcement  the  children  danced  with 
glee,  as  they  had  not  been  further  from  home  than 
the  well  since  they  came  the  March  before,  and  little 
realizing  how  tiresome  the  long  trip  across  the 
desert  would  be,  they  anxiously  awaited  the  arrival 
of  the  time  to  start.  Everything  was  gotten  ready 
that  evening  in  preparation  for  the  trip,  Gully 
knowing  that  the  going  and  coming  over  the  long 
sandy  roads  would  consume  most  of  the  day.  It 
would  require  an  early  start  to  allow  time  for  their 
trading. 

Sunrise  the  following  morning  found  them  well 
on  their  road  to  the  town,  which  could  be  seen  in  the 
distance,  although  many  miles  away,  and  as  the 
morning  hours  passed  the  enthusiasm  of  the  children 
gradually  exhausted  itself,  and  the  last  few  miles 
of  the  trip  were  made  in  almost  complete  silence, 
broken  only  by  the  monotonous  squeaking  of  the 
harness  and  rattle  of  the  wagon,  the  box  of  which 
was  a  home  made  affair,  almost  completely  wrecked 
by  the  strain  of  being  overloaded  with  barrels  of 
water,  but  which  had  been  wired  together  with  bale 
wire  in  order  that  the  boards  extending  from  side 
to  side  would  sustain  the  weight  of  those  seated 
upon  them. 

When  they  reached  the  town,  which  consisted  of 
a  few  residences,  a  railroad  station  and  some  half 
dozen  stores,  Gully  drove  to  a  vacant  lot  a  short 
distance  from  the  mian  street,  where  a  number  of 
wagons  were  already  standing,  with  horses  con 
tentedly  eating  hay  while  their  owners  were  trans 
acting  their  business. 


84  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

After  assisting  his  wife  and  children  to  alight 
he  unhitched  his  team,  and  then  making  them  fast 
to  the  wheels,  that  they  might  eat,  returned  to  where 
his  family  had  assembled  and  assisted  them  to  brush 
from  their  clothing  the  accumulation  of  sand  and 
volcanic  ash  that  had  transformed  them  into  gray 
figures  that  blended  with  the  buildings,  fences  and 
sagebrush  with  which  they  were  surrounded,  all 
gray,  the  eternal  gray  of  the  desert. 

Had  those  of  their  friends  who  had  known 
Travis  Gully  and  his  family  in  their  old  home  met 
them  in  their  present  condition,  it  is  doubtful  if  the 
most  intimate  among  them  would  have  been  able  to 
recognize  them.  The  changes  that  had  taken  place 
were  in  some  respects  advantageous.  Minnie  Gully 
was  no  longer  the  tire,  care  worn  mother  of  the 
year  before.  She  had  thrown  off  that  spirit  of 
lassitude  that  marks  so  unmistakably  the  druge,  the 
farmer's  wife.  That  she  had  health  was  evidenced 
by  the  tinge  of  color  that  shone  through  the  coat  of 
tan  produced  by  the  desert  wind  and  sun,  and  also 
by  her  buoyant  step  and  actions.  The  children  had 
grown  hardy  and  rugged  by  their  unrestrained  free 
dom  in  the  wilderness,  and  while  showing  a  disposi 
tion  to  be  more  timid,  were  as  yet  unspoiled  by  their 
isolation. 

It  was  in  Travis  Gully  that  the  change  was  most 
noticeable.  He  was  no  longer  the  disinterested  slave, 
the  irresponsible  renter  with  no  higher  ambition 
than  to  grow  an  abundant  crop  for  his  landlord, 
that  he  might  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the  premises 
another  year  and  thereby  avoid  the  exertion  of  a 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  85 

forced  move.  His  summer  spent  in  the  harvest  field 
had  netted  him  other  than  financial  returns.  It  had 
developed  in  him  a  firmer  resolve  to  own  a  home  of 
his  own,  and  hardened  his  muscles  for  the  fray. 
His  bearing  was  more  independent,  and  the  fire  of 
a  newborn  ambition  shone  in  his  eyes. 

He  was  now  the  aggressor,  and  had  dropped  the 
role  of  a  passive  follower.  It  was  his  first  awaken 
ing,  and  never  having  been  compelled  to  feel  the 
sting  of  defeat,  was  as  yet  undaunted.  Thus  it  may 
be  seen  that  while  the  first  year's  planting  on  the 
homestead  was  a  failure  the  venture,  as  a  whole, 
had  its  element  of  success. 

The  next  few  hours  of  their  stay  in  the  village 
was  devoted  to  shopping,  and  were  filled  with  many 
incidents  both  amusing  and  trying.  The  constant 
care  of  the  children  as  they  tugged  at  their  mother's 
skirts,  calling  her  attention  to  various  articles  that 
caught  their  wondering  eyes,  the  trying  on  of  shoes 
and  selection  of  ginghams  and  calicoes,  with  one 
ever  present  thought,  that  the  purchases  must  be 
confined  to  a  certain  amount,  made  the  task  a  tire 
some  and  nerve  racking  one.  At  last  it  was  finished, 
and  when  Travis  Gully,  who  had  gone  for  his  team, 
drove  up  to  the  store  and  loaded  on  his  purchases, 
it  was  a  tired  and  hungry  family  that  climbed  into 
the  wagon  and  took  their  places  among  the  many 
bundles  and  boxes  with  which  it  was  piled  and 
turned  their  faces  homeward,  to  drive  back  over  the 
same  dusty  road;  to  listen  for  hours  to  the  rattle 
of  the  particles  of  sand  as  they  were  lifted  high 
by  the  revolving  wheels  and  then  allowed  to  drop 


86  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

upon  the  paper  wrapped  bundles  with  which  the 
bottom  of  the  wagon  was  strewn;  to  listen  to  the 
continuous  crackling  of  the  dry  sagebrush  as  the 
wheels  passed  over  it,  pressing  it  deep  into  the 
yielding  sand,  and  which  sprang  back  into  position 
after  the  vehicle  had  passed  and  awaited,  with  a 
patience  born  of  years  of  solitude  upon  the  desert, 
for  the  next  onslaught,  continuing  this  torture  until 
ground  to  powder  and  mixed  with  the  sand  that 
had  lashed  it  for  years.  Take,  if  you  will,  a  pinch 
of  sand  from  the  sage  covered  desert,  and  seek  out 
from  its  many  particles  the  tiny  atoms  of  sage 
brush  and  examine  them.  They  are  all  the  same 
misshapen,  dwarfed  and  gray. 

It  was  far  into  the  night  before  the  Gully's 
reached  their  home  and  were  greeted  by  the  faithful 
old  dog  who  had  remained  behind,  but  little  notice 
was  taken  of  his  demonstration  of  welcome,  so  after 
he  had  assured  himself  that  all  were  present,  and 
had  tugged  at  the  blanket  in  which  little  Joe  was 
brought,  sleeping  soundly,  into  the  house,  he  retired 
to  his  place  under  the  kitchen  table.  Gully  lost  no 
time,  after  caring  for  his  horses  and  seeing  that  his 
purchases  were  safe  for  the  night,  in  going  to  his 
rest,  conscious  of  the  fact  that  an  eventful  day  in 
his  life  had  passed. 

It  now  being  late  in  November,  Gully  knew  that 
but  a  short  time  could  be  expected  before  the  first 
winter  snow  would  come,  and  he  had  learned  that  it 
sometimes  came  in  such  quantities  as  to  drift  in 
the  roads  and  make  it  very  difficult  to  travel,  and 
not  caring  to  be  caught  unprepared  in  such  an  event, 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  87 

left  the  following  Monday  in  search  of  a  place  where 
feed  for  his  horses  might  be  purchased.  Accom 
panied  by  one  of  his  neighbors,  he  went  back  into 
the  hills,  and  there  they  purchased  a  sufficient  amount 
to  do  them  both.  The  roads  being  very  sandy  and 
the  distance  great,  it  required  several  days  with 
both  their  teams  to  haul  the  hay  to  their  claims. 
After  this  was  accomplished  and  the  winter's  supply 
of  wood  procured,  the  rest  of  the  time  before  the 
snow  fell  was  devoted  to  clearing  land  in  prepara 
tion  for  plowing  the  following  spring. 

At  last,  upon  awakening  one  morning  Travis 
Gully  found  that  the  long  looked  for  snow  had 
arrived,  several  inches  having  fallen  during  the 
night,  and  it  was  still  snowing  quite  hard.  He 
looked  out  across  the  level  plain,  and  thought  he 
had  never  seen  a  more  beautiful  sight.  Not  a 
breath  of  air  was  stirring,  and  the  huge  flakes  were 
coming  down  in  myriads,  falling  on  the  high  tufts 
of  bunch  grass  and  remaining  where  they  had  fallen. 
The  unsightly  sagebrush  was  transformed  into  every 
conceivable  shape,  and  its  stubby,  unyieldy  branches 
bedecked  with  soft,  fleecy  snow  that  completely  hid 
their  identity  and  brought  their  grotesque  forms 
out  in  cameo  like  relief.  The  changed  color  and 
altered  conditions  from  its  former  sameness  gave 
the  landscape  a  wierd,  ghastly  appearance. 

Gully  stood  fascinated  by  the  dazzling  whiteness, 
and  wondered  in  a  vague,  uncertain  way  why,  if 
such  a  change  was  possible  in  so  short  a  time  by  a 
simple  variation  in  climatic  conditions,  would  it  not 
be  possible  to  make  the  change  permanent  and  pro- 


88  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

ductive  of  some  good.  Why  not  change  from  the 
torturing  dull  gray  to  green  and  then  a  golden  hue, 
to  be  followed  by  the  spotless  mantle  of  white? 
Was  it  within  the  power  of  man,  with  his  advanced 
ideas  and  modern  methods,  to  bring  about  such  a 
transformation?  If  so,  would  the  change  be  per 
manent?  That  they  had  in  some  instances,  and 
over  small  areas,  accomplished  this  feat  it  was  true, 
but  it  was  noticeable  in  every  instance  of  this  kind 
new  complications  had  arisen  to  test  their  ingenuity, 
new  difficulties  were  constantly  arising  for  mankind 
to  combat. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  Dame  Nature  in  her 
magnanimity  in  giving  the  greater  portion  of  the 
earth  had  reserved  these  few,  isolated  places  for  the 
gratification  of  her  whims,  for  reconstruction  by 
her  hand  alone,  to  be  handed  down  in  ages  yet  to 
come  to  a  different,  better  and  wiser  race.  If  it 
was  possible  for  this  once  inland  sea  to  be  trans 
formed  into  a  blistering  barren  waste,  why  would 
it  not  be  equally  possible  for  this  same  power  to 
tear  down  and  remove  the  barriers  that  now  arise 
between  this  desert  and  its  natural  source  of  water 
supply,  the  mountains  that  so  change  the  currents 
of  air  and  rend  asunder  the  vaporous  clouds,  and 
thereby  render  condensation  impossible.  What  right 
had  man  to  dictate  the  conditions  that  shall  obtain 
in  certain  localities,  and  would  nature  concede  their 
demands? 

To  Travis  Gully  the  possibilities  of  irrigation 
were  unknown.  He  had  never  seen  its  results, 
except  on  the  one  occasion  when  he  had  stopped  for 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  89 

a  few  days  in  the  little  city,  surrounded  by  its  ex 
tensive  orchards,  that  had  marked  the  end  of  his 
journey  in  quest  of  a  home.  That  similar  conditions 
as  those  he  was  now  called  upon  to  combat  once 
existed  in  that  now  fertile  valley  he  well  know,  and 
the  scenes  of  beautiful  homes  surrounded  by  miles 
and  miles  of  orchards,  with  occasional  patches  of 
green  alfalfa,  was  so  indelibly  impressed  on  his  mind 
that  they  were  constantly  recurring  to  his  memory, 
and  were  easily  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  as 
applicable  to  the  locality  in  which  he  had  chosen  to 
cast  his  lot.  Would  the  change  be  made,  would  he 
and  his  neighbors  be  given  an  opportunity  to  demon 
strate  to  the  world,  the  results  of  intelligent  handling 
of  these  greatest  productive  agents,  water,  sunshine 
and  soil? 

He  was  sure  they  would.  The  coming  of  the 
Geological  Surveyors  was  proof  that  the  authorities 
were  at  last  going  to  reclaim  this  arid  district  and 
bring  it  into  a  state  of  productiveness.  That  they 
had  left  the  vicinity  of  where  he  lived  was  true, 
but  he  had  learned  that  they  had  established  a  new 
camp  farther  into  the  desert,  where  their  work  was 
to  be  continued,  and  as  soon  as  the  result  of  their 
investigation  as  to  the  feasibility  of  the  plan  had 
been  reported  to  the  Department  of  the  Interior  at 
Washington,  D.  C.,  actual  work  would  start,  and  he 
would  soon  see  the  realization  of  his  dream,  "A  home 
of  his  own." 


90  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  first  snow  was  of  short  duration,  although 
the  fall  was  heavy.  The  sun  shone  brightly  before 
the  end  of  the  week  and  as  it  melted  the  moisture 
was  hastily  consumed  by  the  thirsty  sands.  The 
days  that  followed  the  disappearance  of  the  snow 
were  ideal.  No  clouds  of  dust  arose  to  obscure  the 
vision,  and  the  quivering,  dancing  mirage  that  had 
transformed  the  desert  into  a  veritable  fairy  land 
appeared  regularly  each  morning  and  lingered,  as 
if  loath  to  deprive  the  desert  dwellers  of  the  pleasure 
of  its  hypnotic  influence,  until  compelled  to  retreat 
before  the  advancing  army  of  glinting  sunbeams. 

The  invincible  bunch  grass,  aroused  from  its 
lethargy  by  the  magic  touch  of  moisture,  sent  forth 
from  its  withered  roots  tender  shoots  of  green  that 
peeped  shyly  from  the  mass  of  sun  parched  stalks 
that,  unable  to  withstand  the  summer's  heat,  had 
fallen  helplessly  back,  thus  forming  a  shield  for 
their  parent  turf. 

These  days  of  sunshine  were  taken  advantage  of 
by  Travis  Gully  and  his  family,  and  rapid  progress 
was  made  in  clearing  the  land.  With  the  coming 
of  the  shades  of  evening  his  place,  like  those  of 
hundreds  of  others,  was  aglow  with  bonfires,  the 
pyre  of  the  burning  sagebrush  that  sizzled,  crackled 
and  fried  as  the  blazing  torch  was  applied,  and  when 
the  last  faint  glow  of  the  remaining  embers  had 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  91 

died  out  and  only  ashes  were  left,  they  could  still  feel 
the  penetrating  leer  of  the  ghastly  gray  that  would 
not  down. 

As  the  winter  approached  every  possible  prepara 
tion  was  made  for  the  months  of  enforced  idleness, 
and  when  it  finally  came  the  family,  who  had  never 
acquired  the  habit  of  reading,  and  were  lacking  in 
other  forms  of  amusement,  the  time  hung  heavily  on 
their  hands.  The  letters  that  came  from  their  old 
home  at  irregular  intervals  were  anxiously  awaited, 
and  upon  receipt  of  them  a  sense  of  homesickness 
seemed  to  overcome  the  family.  Little  incidents 
were  recounted  that  recalled  scenes  and  recollections 
that  during  the  busy  season  would  have  been  lightly 
passed  and  soon  forgotten. 

They  had  never  met  any  of  their  former  friends 
since  coming  to  the  northwest,  but  had  learned  that 
the  Gowells  and  Moodys  had  settled  somewhere  in 
Montana,  and  word  had  been  received  from  the  Lane 
boys,  who  had  taken  up  a  homestead  in  Washing 
ton,  but  the  address  given  was  a  remote  point  from 
the  Gullys.  The  letters  stated  that  those  mentioned 
were  all  doing  well  and  were  satisfied  with  the  change. 
Not  a  word  of  complaint  had  ever  been  written  by 
Travis  Gully  or  the  members  of  his  family.  They 
had  failed  the  first  year,  but  it  was  probably  due  to 
unusual  conditions,  they  thought,  so  they  made  no 
mention  of  the  fact. 

They  had  written  home  at  regular  intervals, 
stating  that  all  were  well,  the  happy,  healthy  growth 
of  the  children  was  noted,  and  an  amusing  descrip 
tion  of  their  home,  and  experience  in  building  the 


92  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

cistern  and  hauling  water  with  which  to  fill  it,  wat 
faithfully  chronicled.  An  account  of  the  trip  to  the 
harvest  field  was  written,  telling  of  the  enormous 
yield  and  the  methods  used  in  saving  the  grain, 
also  of  how  a  sufficient  amount  was  earned  to  meet 
the  winter's  requirements,  but  never  a  word  of  the 
heart  breaking  failure  of  their  first  planting  nor  of 
the  tortures  endured  in  the  grain  fields,  feeling 
that  the  possibilities  of  a  reoccurrence  of  these  unfor 
tunate  conditions  was  remote.  They  looked  only  to 
a  more  successful  future. 

The  little  district  school  house,  the  erection  of 
vhich  had  been  started  early  in  the  fall,  was  now 
complete,  but  no  teacher  could  be  found  who  was 
willing  to  come  into  the  wilderness  to  teach  the  few 
children  of  which  the  district  boasted.  The  neigh 
borhood  finally  by  common  consent  organized  what 
they  called  a  "Literary  Society,"  and  a  Sunday 
School.  The  society  met  twice  a  month,  and  these 
meetings  were  looked  forward  to  as  events  of  great 
importance,  the  program  usually  consisting  of  de 
bates  by  the  older  members  and  recitations,  dialogues 
and  songs  by  the  children  of  the  community.  The 
Sunday  School  met  weekly,  and  the  homesteaders 
came  with  their  families  for  distances  of  from  ten 
to  fifteen  miles  to  be  in  attendance. 

As  the  holiday  season  approached,  arrangements 
were  made  for  a  neighborhood  Christmas  tree,  con 
tributions  were  taken  up  at  a  meeting  of  the  society, 
and  a  committee  of  arrangements  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  the  affair.  Someone  being  the  fortunate 
possessor  of  a  catalogue  from  an  eastern  mail  order 


I 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  93 

house,  it  was  brought  into  requisition  and  a  selection 
of  decorations  and  trinkets  for  the  tree  was  made 
and  the  order  for  their  shipment  forwarded.  A 
census  of  the  community  was  taken  and  no  one 
forgotten. 

For  days  before  that  memorable  Christmas  Eve 
an  air  of  mystery  surrounded  the  actions  of  everyone 
concerned.  Packages  that  came  through  the  regular 
mails  from  the  home  folks  in  the  east  were  carefully 
hidden  away,  not  to  be  opened  until  Christmas.  The 
age  worn  spirit  of  the  season's  cheer  had  invaded 
the  desert,  bringing  with  it  a  feeling  of  comrade 
ship  not  possible  to  engender  in  a  community  with 
out  the  desert  environments,  the  vastness  and  the 
solitude  impressed  upon  the  homesteader  a  sense  of 
his  individual  smallness  and  the  necessity  of  associa 
tion  with  one  another.  They  were  there  for  a 
common  purpose,  the  conquest  of  the  desert  and  the 
building  of  a  home. 

When  the  anxiously  looked  for  package  from  the 
mail  order  house  arrived  it  was  left  at  the  Gully 
home  until  time  to  get  the  tree  in  readiness.  The 
morning  of  the  day  before  Christmas  was  ushered 
in  by  a  blizzard  that  drove  the  ^finely  powdered  snow 
in  blinding  sheets  into  the  faces  of  Travis  Gully 
and  the  two  of  his  neighbors  who  had  been  chosen 
to  meet  at  the  school  house  and  make  preparations 
for  the  assembly  in  the  afternoon.  Gully,  after 
hitching  his  team  to  the  wagon  in  which  had  been 
placed  the  packages  and  bundles,  covered  them 
snugly  with  old  blankets  to  protect  them  from  the 
blowing  snow,  and  drove  to  the  school  house,  where 


94  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

he  found  his  two  neighbors  awaiting  his  arrival. 
They  came  out  to  meet  him  with  forlorn  and  hope 
less  expressions  depicted  on  their  faces.  Noting 
this,  he  asked  them  the  cause  of  their  distressed 
appearance,  when,  both  speaking  at  the  same  time, 
they  exclaimed:  "How  about  the  tree?  We  have  no 
Christmas  tree."  Gully  was  amazed.  Here  they 
had  made  arrangements  for  a  befitting  celebration, 
with  the  decorations  to  adorn  a  Christmas  tree,  the 
time  was  at  hand,  and  everyone  had  forgotten  to 
provide  a  tree  for  the  occasion. 

With  crestfallen  expressions,  the  men  turned 
slowly  and  allowed  their  gaze  to  sweep  the  plain  in 
every  direction,  but  could  see  no  way  out  of  their 
difficulty.  Not  a  shrub  in  all  that  vast  area  raised 
its  scrawny  head  to  a  height  above  four  feet.  What 
would  they  do?  The  wives  and  children  must  not 
be  disappointed.  They  had  set  their  hearts  on  this 
event  as  the  nearest  approach  to  a  Christmas  with 
the  home  folks.  Here  at  this  Christmas  celebration 
would  be  opened  packages  containing  tokens  of  love 
and  thoughtfulness.  The  very  knots  in  the  cord 
that  bound  them,  and  the  creases  in  the  paper  with 
which  they  were  wrapped,  had  been  made  by  fond 
hands  that  were  separated  from  them  by  thousands 
of  miles.  No!  they  must  have  a  Christmas  tree. 

At  this  point  in  their  dilemna,  the  resourcefulness 
of  the  true  pioneer  asserted  itself.  With  an  exclama 
tion  of  "I  have  it,  boys,"  Gully  sprang  from  the 
wagon,  and  throwing  back  the  blankets  from  the 
packages  he  directed  that  they  be  taken  inside,  and 
after  using  the  blankets  to  protect  his  horses  from 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  95 

the  cold,  he  went  to  a  huge  pile  of  sagebrush  that 
had  been  hauled  into  the  school  yard  for  fuel,  drew 
from  its  midst  and  shook  the  snow  from  several  of 
its  largest  branches.  These  he  and  his  companions 
carried  into  the  school  room.  Gully's  friends,  not 
knowing  his  ideas,  fetched  and  carried  at  his  com 
mand  like  eager  children.  From  beneath  the  newly 
constructed  building  was  procured  a  piece  of  dis 
carded  scantling  which  was  appropriated  and  cut 
to  the  desired  length.  The  branches  of  the  sage 
brush  were  then  cut  from  the  stalk  and  nailed  with 
painstaking  care  to  the  smooth  surface  of  one  side 
of  the  two  by  six  inch  scantling.  Starting  near  the 
bottom  with  short  branches,  the  longer  ones  were 
worked  in  near  the  center  and  tapering  as  the  top 
was  approached,  the  whole  structure  being  topped 
with  one  crowning  bough;  and  thus  completed,  the 
crude  affair  was  placed  in  position,  with  the  flat 
side  securely  nailed  to  the  back  wall  of  the  building. 
Upon  stepping  back  to  study  the  results  of  their 
efforts,  the  men  were  surprised  at  the  effect,  the 
oddity  of  its  appearance. 

Procuring  the  box  of  trimmings,  they  proceeded 
with  their  task.  By  means  of  the  generous  distri 
bution  of  cotton  batting  which  was  originally  in 
tended  to  create  the  effect  of  a  snow  drift  at  the 
base  of  the  tree  they  succeeded  in  hiding  the  back 
ground  and  the  rough  bark  of  the  boughs,  and  at 
the  same  time  producing  a  decidedly  wintery  effect. 
Upon  having  completed  the  tree  thus  far  they  decided 
to  return  to  their  homes  for  their  families,  and  to 
leave  the  final  touches  to  the  deft  hands  of  their 
wives. 


96  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Owing  to  the  great  distance  it  was  necessary  for 
some  of  the  homesteaders  to  come,  it  had  been 
agreed  upon  to  meet  at  the  school  building  during 
the  afternoon,  bringing  their  lunch  and  eating,  after 
which  they  would  light  the  Christmas  tree  as  soon 
after  dark  as  would  give  the  best  effect,  and  to  dis 
tribute  the  presents  early  that  those  who  came  from 
afar  might  return  home  at  a  reasonable  hour. 

It  was  shortly  after  the  noon  hour  that  Travis 
Gully  and  his  two  friends  returned  with  their  fam 
ilies,  as  they  were  anxious  to  have  the  tree  as 
nearly  completed  as  was  possible  before  the  arrival 
of  those  from  a  distance.  The  wives  of  the  designers 
of  this  novel  Christmas  tree,  having  been  in  a 
measure  prepared  by  having  been  told  of  its  nature, 
were  astonished,  upon  entering  the  building,  at  the 
attractiveness  of  the  tree.  They  had  expected  to 
find  some  crude  arrangement  as  a  substitute  for 
the  usual  evergreen,  but  when  they  appreciated  the 
possibilities  of  the  unfinished  work  before  them, 
they  were  delighted,  and  went  eagerly  at  the  task 
of  its  completion. 

Taking  up  the  work  where  the  men  had  left  off, 
they  readjusted  the  indiscriminate  distribution  of 
the  fleecy  cotton,  sprinkling  it  with  the  glistening 
powder  so  commonly  used  to  produce  the  sparkling, 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  97 

frosty  effect,  clipping  an  unruly  bough  here  and 
there,  placing  the  glittering  tin  candle  holders,  with 
their  assorted  colored  candles,  so  as  to  avoid  contact 
with  the  cotton  when  lighted,  and  after  filling  many 
small  red,  green  and  blue  stocking  shaped  mosquito 
netting  bags  with  candies  and  nuts,  after  which  a 
tag  bearing  the  name  of  some  child  of  the  neighbor 
hood  was  attached,  these  they  distributed  among  the 
branches  of  the  tree,  festooning  the  whole  with  a 
bewildering  mass  of  yards  of  pure  white  popcorn 
strung  on  a  thread  for  the  occasion,  tissue  paper 
designs  and  sparkling  tinsel  that  reflected  the  lights 
of  the  many  candles  in  rapidly  changing  hues  and 
giving  it  the  effect  of  a  dazzling  fountain  that  per 
sisted  in  its  activities,  though  in  the  grasp  of  the 
frost  king. 

Before  the  completion  of  the  decoration  of  the 
tree  and  for  several  hours  after  the  neighboring 
homesteaders  began  to  arrive  with  their  families, 
each  bringing  their  share  of  the  Christmas  packages 
and  boxes  of  lunch.  Many  and  varied  were  the 
expressions  of  amazement  and  delight  that  greeted 
the  workers  upon  the  arrival  of  each  family.  "Isn't 
it  lovely,  and  made  of  sagebrush,  too.  How  did  you 
do  it?"  Some,  more  inquistive  than  others,  would 
have  to  handle  the  branches  to  convince  themselves 
that  it  was  purely  a  local  product.  "Well,  it  beats 
the  trees  we  used  to  have  back  home.  I  wish  they 
could  see  it,"  many  would  exclaim. 

As  the  neighbors  arrived,  their  packages  were 
taken  and  either  hung  on  the  tree  or  placed  con 
veniently  near  its  base. 


98  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

It  was  a  happy  gathering  of  pioneers.  The  little 
school  building,  though  being  used  for  a  purpose 
other  than  for  which  it  was  built,  radiated  with 
warmth  from  the  one  huge  sheet  iron  stove  that 
stood  in  its  center  and  into  which  was  being  con 
stantly  fed  handful  after  handful  of  crushed  and 
twisted  sagebrush.  As  evening  approached  and  the 
last  of  those  who  were  expected  arrived  and  were 
met  at  the  door  and  relieved  of  their  bundles  and 
wraps,  places  were  made  for  them  near  the  stove 
that  they  might  warm  their  frosted  fingers  and  toes. 

It  was  soon  growing  quite  dark,  and  the  excited 
children  were  eagerly  clamoring  for  the  candles  to 
be  lighted.  Benches  were  drawn  away  from  the 
walls,  and  after  being  placed  together,  the  lunch 
was  spread,  and  the  Christmas  festivities  were  begun. 
There  was  no  snow  white  linen  or  sparkling  silver 
nor  cut  glass,  no  wines  or  imported  beverages,  not 
a  flower  or  sprig  of  green  graced  this  banquet  board. 
The  benches  were  covered  with  the  paper  removed 
from  such  of  the  packages  as  had  been  unwrapped, 
and  plain  porcelain,  granite  and  tin  were  the  plates, 
The  knives,  forks  and  spoons  were  the  iron  handled 
or  plated  varieties.  All  evidence  of  stately  cere 
mony  was  absent,  but  over  all  a  spirit  of  good  fellow 
ship  reigned.  Faith,  Hope  and  Charity  were  their 
guests  and  hovered  close  around  this  isolated  gather 
ing  and  directed  their  every  thought,  word  and 
action.  The  plain  food  was  eaten  with  a  relish, 
and  the  steaming  coffee,  served  from  a  granite 
pitcher  that  was  constantly  being  refilled  from  a 
large  boiler  on  the  sheet  iron  stove,  was  drank  with 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  99 

an  appreciation  of  its  warmth  and  invigorating 
effect. 

The  supper  over  and  all  evidence  of  it  removed, 
with  the  benches  so  arranged  that  all  could  get  a 
view  of  the  tree,  the  lighted  lanterns  that  had  been 
hanging  upon  the  walls,  were  lowered,  and  the  tree 
lighted.  Breathlessly  both  young  and  old  awaited 
the  effect.  Faintly  the  little  candles  flickered  and 
sputtered,  trying  with  their  tiny  wicks  to  allow  the 
consuming  flames  to  survive.  A  few  went  out,  but 
were  quickly  relighted,  and  as  the  hand  that  applied 
the  match  was  withdrawn  and  a  slight  current  of 
air  created,  they  flared  and  fluttered,  but  as  the 
pointed  tip  of  each  candle  was  burned  away  and  the 
little  cups  of  molten  wax  formed  around  the  wicks, 
they  shot  forth  their  flames.  One  by  one  they  came, 
like  stars  as  night  rapidly  falls;  more  quickly  they 
came,  and  as  the  last  one  flared  up  and  revealed  the 
tree  in  all  its  sparkling  brilliancy,  bated  breating 
ceased,  and  with  a  sudden  chorus  of  many  childish 
expressions  of  delight  and  much  noisy  handclapping 
of  their  parents  in  appreciation  of  the  spectacle 
before  them,  the  little  school  room  was  filled  with 
din  that  was  taken  up  by  the  icy  night  wind  and 
wafted  for  miles  across  the  snow  and  mingled  with 
the  swish  of  the  treacherous  currents  of  the  Columbia 
river,  or  mounting  higher  were  lost  amidst  the 
phantomlike  whispering  of  the  soughing  pines  on 
the  rugged  mountain  side. 

There  were  among  those  who  had  assembled 
there  that  Christmas  Eve  many  who  had  in  their 
earlier  childhood  attended  many  Christmas  tree  en- 


100  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

tertainments,  both  community  and  family  trees,  but 
none  were  present  who  could  recall  ever  having  seen 
one  more  beautiful.  Their  minds  flew  back  for  just 
one  fleeting  moment  to  scenes  in  the  past,  trying  in 
vain  to  recall  the  most  beautiful  tree  they  had  ever 
seen,  that  they  might  compare  it  with  the  one  they 
now  beheld,  and  wondered  at  the  possible  effect  the 
sight  of  such  a  one  as  this  would  have  upon  the 
home  folks. 

Travis  Gully  was  chosen  to  distribute  th£  presents, 
and  this  he  soon  accomplished.  As  each  person's 
name  was  called  they  arose  and  the  parcel  was 
passed  to  them,  and  when  the  last  of  the  packages 
had  reached  the  hand  of  its  excited  owner  and  had 
been  opened  and  admired,  they  were  passed  to  curious 
onlookers  for  their  inspection  and  comment.  The 
tree  was  denuded  of  all  its  gaudy  decorations.  The 
candle  holders,  with  their  short  bits  of  candle,  were 
distributed  among  the  children,  and  the  long  strings 
of  popcorn  and  sparkling  tinsel,  together  with  the 
cotton,  were  carefully  stored  away  in  a  box  for 
future  use.  While  mothers  secured  their  wraps  and 
shook  to  a  state  of  wakefulness  many  sleepy  little 
tots,  each  step  they  took  resounding  with  the  crunch 
of  peanut  shells  with  which  the  bare  floor  was 
strewn,  the  first  Christmas  tree  the  desert  had  ever 
known  had  come  and  gone. 

The  men  went  out,  and  hitching  their  teams, 
drove  to  the  entrance  for  their  families,  and  a? 
each  stepped  inside  the  building  to  say  goodnight  and 
wish  for  his  neighbor  a  Merry  Christmas  and  Happy 
New  Year,  he  took  a  final  look  toward  the  back  of 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  101 

the  room  and  shuddered.  One  smoky  lantern  hung 
on  a  nail  near  the  tree,  now  robbed  of  all  its  tawdry 
loveliness;  sagebrush,  just  a  skeleton  of  a  thing, 
once  made  beautiful  for  a  transient  moment  but  now 
back  to  it  original  state,  a  product  of  the  desert,  a 
diabolical  fiend  clothed  in  its  haunting  gray. 

Gully  with  his  family  were  the  last  to  leave,  and 
the  hour  being  late,  the  drive  home  was  made  with 
out  comment  by  either  he  or  his  wife.  The  older 
children  chattered  away  about  what  they  and  their 
friends  had  gotten  from  the  tree.  Little  Joe,  tucked 
snugly  away  among  the  blankets,  one  chubby  hand 
clutching  the  now  almost  empty  mosquito  net  stock 
ing,  the  other,  with  fingers  stuck  fast  together,  was 
thrust  beneath  his  head  amidst  a  mass  of  towsled 
locks  of  sunburned  hair,  now  smeared  with  red  dye 
from  a  moist  stock  of  peppermint  candy,  slept 
unconsciously  throughout  the  trip  home. 

Christmas  morning,  when  it  dawned,  was  accom 
panied  by  a  terrific  blizzard  that  kept  Travis  Gully 
and  his  family  indoors.  But  being  happy  with  the 
success  of  the  Christmas  tree,  they  were  content  to 
stay  by  the  fire  and  discuss  that  event  and  plan  for 
the  weeks  of  fair  weather  that  they  hoped  would 
follow  the  storm. 

Gully  realizing  that  his  family  was  comfortable, 
his  only  care  was  for  his  horses.  These  he  had 
provided  with  as  good  protection  as  he  had  been  able 
to  construct  after  his  return  from  the  harvest  field, 
but  he  knew  that  the  flimsy  structure  he  had  erected 
and  on  three  sides  of  which  he  had  piled  sagebrush 
as  a  windbreak,  could  not  long  withstand  such  a 


102  THE    LAND   OF    LURE 

storm  as  was  now  raging.  Upon  going  to  the  barn 
he  discovered  that  the  brush  had  already  blown 
away  and  he  set  to  work  to  replace  it  and  to  make 
it  more  secure  by  weighting  it  down  with  numerous 
old  discarded  railroad  ties  that  had  been  hauled  out 
for  fuel.  The  stinging  fine  snow  and  icy  blast  of 
the  blizzard  made  his  task  a  most  difficult  one,  and 
he  was  repeatedly  forced  to  go  to  the  house  to  thaw 
out  his  frosted  fingers  and  toes. 

As  evening  approached  the  fury  of  the  gale 
increased,  and  huge  snowdrifts  formed  around  the 
little  home  and  completely  cut  off  exit  by  means  of 
the  kitchen  door.  The  front  door  opened  directly 
facing  the  blizzard,  and  at  its  every  opening  the 
two  small  rooms  were  filled  with  the  cold  wind  and 
drifting  snow.  The  shrieking  and  howling  of  the 
wind  warned  Gully  of  the  wild  night  through  which 
he  and  his  family  had  to  pass,  and  he  made  ready 
by  providing  an  abundance  of  sagebrush  for  fuel. 
He  fed  and  blanketed  his  horses  early,  and  after 
spreading  the  straw  for  their  bedding,  he  left  them 
as  comfortable  as  was  possible  under  the  circum 
stances. 

Supper  being  over  and  he  and  his  family  seated 
comfortably  around  the  roaring  stove  enjoying  the 
genial  heat  that  was  now  filling  the  rooms,  and 
laughing  merrily  at  the  novel  experience  of  being 
snowbound  out  in  the  desert.  Incidents  of  other 
Christmas  nights  back  in  the  old  home  were  recounted 
by  both  Gully  and  his  wife,  to  which  the  children 
eagerly  listened.  Laughing  and  chatting,  the  evening 
was  spent  in  this  snug  little  retreat,  while  outside 
the  storm  raged. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  103 

One  by  one  the  children  became  sleepy  and  were 
tucked  away  for  the  night,  and  the  fastening  of 
the  front  door  was  made  more  secure  by  having  a 
crude  bench  turned  on  end  and  braced  against  it, 
and  the  cracks  arounds  its  casing^  through  which 
the  cold  wind  was  driving  the  snow,  was  stopped  by 
an  old  piece  of  canvas  that  was  fastened  at  the  top 
with  nails  and  allowed  to  extend  down  to  the  floor. 
Thus  fortified  against  the  elements,  Travis  and 
Minnie  Gully  returned  to  their  places  near  the  fire 
and  sat  for  a  long  time  in  silence,  listening  to  the 
regular  breathing  and  dreamy  mumbling  of  their 
sleeping  children.  For  them  the  storm  had  no  terrors. 

The  wife  placing  her  hand  upon  her  husband's 
knee  aroused  him  from  his  reverie,  and  she  expressed 
her  satisfaction  with  their  changed  condition,  not 
that  their  material  wealth  had  increased,  but  that 
she  had  been  taken  into  his  confidence  and  had 
become  a  factor  in  his  life.  In  the  old  home  she  had 
been  content  to  be  the  mother  of  his  children,  the 
keeper  of  his  house.  But  now  things  were  different. 
She  was  appealed  to  in  all  affairs,  her  suggestions 
were  asked  for  the  expenditure  of  the  few  dollars 
he  had  earned,  she  was  consulted  as  to  the  plans 
for  the  improvement  of  their  home,  and  she  was 
happy  in  the  thought  that  her  ideas  were  of  value, 
and  were  of  assistance  to  him.  She  was  experiencing 
her  awakening,  and  while  it  was  not  as  startling 
nor  as  sudden  as  his  had  been  on  that  first  day 
when  he  had  determined  to  have  a  home  of  his  own, 
it  was  just  as  real,  and  she  was  spurred  on  to  new 
hopes  and  new  ambitions,  and  was  happy  in  their 
contemplation. 


104  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  wail  of  the  wind  grew  louder  as  the  night 
advanced,  and  the  constant  peppering  of  the  particles 
of  snow  as  they  were  being  hurled  in  never  ceasing 
volleys  against  the  tar  paper  with  which  the  outer 
walls  of  the  building  were  covered  could  be  distinctly 
heard.  The  old  dog  came  from  his  accustomed  place 
beneath  the  kitchen  table,  and  going  behind  the  stove 
seated  himself  amidst  the  shoes  and  stockings  that 
had  been  placed  there  by  the  children.  After 
sniffing  the  air  he  yawned,  curled  himself  up,  tucked 
his  head  with  a  contented  sigh,  blinked  his  watery 
eyes  and  was  soon  snoring  contentedly. 

Scarcely  had  he  dozed  off  when  suddenly  he 
sprang  to  a  sitting  position,  and  pricking  up  his 
ears,  emitted  a  vicious  growl.  Gully,  fearing  that 
he  would  awaken  the  sleeping  children,  spoke  to 
him,  commanding  him  to  lay  down  and  be  quiet. 
This  order  he  disregarded,  and  hurriedly  went  into 
the  kitchen,  with  hair  bristling.  Suddenly  the  start 
ling  yap  of  several  coyotes  was  heard  above  the  din 
of  the  wind  and  pelting  snow.  A  pack  of  these 
skulkers,  driven  from  their  lairs  by  hunger  and  the 
biting  cold,  had  in  their  desperation  overcome  their 
fear  of  mankind,  and  emboldened  by  numbers,  had 
entered  the  very  dooryard  in  search  of  food  or  shelter. 

Gully,  after  assuring  his  now  thoroughly  fright 
ened  wife  that  they  were  harmless,  took  the  lamp, 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  105 

and  going  to  the  window  pulled  aside  the  curtain 
and  allowed  it  to  shine  on  the  outside  to  frighten  them 
away.  At  the  same  time  he  recalled  the  fact  that 
little  Joe's  three  chickens  were  roosting  insecurely 
in  a  box  in  the  barn  and  would  fall  an  easy  prey  to 
the  coyotes  should  they  return.  Taking  his  coat 
and  hat,  he  pulled  aside  the  canvas  covering  from 
the  door  and  slipped  out  into  the  storm,  returning 
in  a  few  moments  with  the  box  containing  the 
chickens,  and  put  them  in  a  place  of  safety  in  the 
kitchen. 

Saying  nothing  to  his  wife  about  the  fierceness 
of  the  blizzard,  he  resumed  his  place  by  the  fire,  and 
wondered  if  their  little  shack  would  withstand  the 
strain.  He  thought  of  his  poorly  protected  horses 
and  how  they  must  be  suffering  with  the  intense 
cold,  and  consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that  he 
had  done  all  within  his  power  to  make  them  com 
fortable,  even  to  covering  them  with  the  sadly  worn 
blankets  that  could  be  used  to  an  advantage  on  his 
own  poorly  provided  bed.  As  for  him,  he  could  stay 
awake  and  keep  the  fire  burning,  and  provide  warmth 
for  himself  and  family.  With  this  thought  he  sug 
gested  to  his  wife  that  she  retire,  as  the  hour  was 
growing  late,  and  he  would  replenish  the  fire  and 
follow  as  soon  as  he  assured  himself  that  all  was  well. 

To  this  arrangement  she  protested  mildly;  she 
felt  that  should  anything  go  wrong  her  place  was 
by  his  side.  After  assuring  her  that  everything  was 
safe  and  that  he  would  call  her  if  she  was  needed, 
she  finally  consented,  and  going  to  where  the  sleeping 
children  lay,  placed  each  little  straggling  arm  beneath 


106  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

the  cover,  and  after  smoothing  their  pillows  she 
placed  their  scattered  garments  on  the  foot  of  the 
bed  for  additional  warmth,  and  preparing  her  own 
bed,  in  which  little  Joe  was  sleeping  soundly,  she 
partially  undressed  and  lay  down. 

Travis  Gully,  left  alone,  sat  dreaming  by  the 
stove,  while  outside  the  blizzard  raged  and  tore  at 
the  walls  of  his  home.  Its  intensity  was  increasing, 
he  thought,  or  it  might  be  that  his  loneliness  made 
its  varied  sounds  more  audible.  Blast  after  blast 
was  hurled  against  the  structure,  and  its  every 
timber  creaked  and  groaned  with  the  strain.  The 
canvas  covering  at  the  door  became  inflated  and 
collapsed  at  irregular  intervals,  flapping  lazily  against 
the  door,  rising  and  falling  like  a  sail  amidst  errant 
breezes. 

Gully  was  soon  lulled  to  drowsiness  by  the  warmth 
of  the  stove  and  varied  sounds  produced  by  the  gale, 
and  was  soon  dozing  peacefully  in  his  chair.  How 
long  he  remained  in  this  position  he  never  knew.  He 
was  suddenly  aroused  by  a  call  from  his  wife,  who 
asked  as  to  the  cause  of  an  unusual  sound  that  had 
awakened  her.  Gully,  thus  awakened,  noted  the  chilli 
ness  of  the  room,  and  renewed  the  fire,  after  which 
he  listened  intently  for  a  repetition  of  the  sound. 
He  had  not  long  to  wait.  A  sudden  fiierce  blast  made 
the  building  quiver,  and  he  could  distinctly  hear  a 
lashing,  tearing  sound  on  the  north  wall. 

Approaching  the  window  to  ascertain,  if  possible, 
the  cause,  he  noticed  the  crunching  sound  of  the 
trodden  snow  upon  the  floor,  and  felt  the  cold  wind. 
He  instantly  realized  what  had  happened.  The  wind 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  107 

in  its  maddened  fury  had  torn  the  tar  paper  from 
the  outer  wall  and  was  driving  the  finely  powdered 
snow  through  the  cracks  and  was  forming  it  in 
slender  drifts  across  the  floor.  The  break  was  slight 
at  the  time  of  its  discovery,  but  each  new  onslaught 
increased  the  size  of  the  rent  and  was  opening  new 
inlets  for  the  snow  and  icy  wind. 

Gully  knew  full  well  that  to  repair  the  break  from 
the  outside  would  be  impossible,  as  the  paper  would 
be  torn  from  his  hands,  and  to  drive  nails  in  the  dark, 
with  numbed  fingers,  was  out  of  the  question.  The 
havoc  that  was  being  wrought  by  the  wind  was 
rapidly  growing  in  extent,  and  snow  was  being  driven 
into  the  house  through  new  openings  at  every  gust. 
Sheets  of  paper  were  being  torn  off  and  could  be 
heard  rattling  away  across  the  snow  and  ice,  being 
driven  before  the  wind.  Prompt  action  of  some  kind 
was  imperative.  The  bed  occupied  by  little  Joe  and 
his  mother  being  built  against  the  north  wall  of  the 
room,  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  move,  as  the 
snow  was  pouring  in  and  covering  the  bedding, 
which  would  soon  be  made  damp  by  the  melting  snow. 

Joe  was  placed  in  the  remaining  crowded  bed 
with  the  other  children  and  Minnie  Gully,  hastily 
dressing,  came  with  the  broom  to  sweep  back  the 
advancing  snow  drifts. 

The  now  vacant  bed  was  hurriedly  cleared  of  its 
bedding  and  the  frame  work  torn  from  the  wall  to 
give  access  to  the  openings.  Travis  Gully  worked 
feverishly,  filling  the  creeks  in  the  wall  with  paper 
and  torn  rags,  pressing  them  in  securely  with  a  case 
knife,  his  wife  bringing  for  this  purpose  every  avail- 


108  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

able  scrap  of  material.  The  unused  bedding  was 
tacked  up  to  temporarily  stay  the  advance  of  the 
snow  and  wind.  The  melting  snow  in  the  room 
required  constant  sweeping  back,  the  fire  was  kept 
burning  brightly  and  the  battle  raged  on.  Not  a 
complaint  or  wail  of  discouragement  escaped  either 
Gully  or  his  wife.  With  set  faces  and  determination 
they  fought  back  the  storm,  and  a  smile  of  satisfac 
tion  greeted  each  successful  effort,  as  inch  by  inch 
the  cracks  in  the  wall  were  closed  and  the  advance 
of  the  enemy  checked. 

The  children  having  been  awakened  by  the  unusual 
commotion  were  told  to  keep  quiet  and  stay  covered 
up,  as  everything  was  all  right.  Being  thus  re 
assured,  they  were  soon  fast  asleep.  Daylight  came 
with  the  Gullys  victors,  but  brought  with  it  no  abate 
ment  of  the  storm.  The  blinding  snow  obscured  the 
vision  and  no  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  damage  done 
could  be  had. 

Exhausted  by  the  loss  of  sleep  and  the  excitement, 
Minnie  Gully  had  sunk  into  a  chair  near  the  stove. 
Her  husband,  noticing  her  tired  look,  tried  to  per 
suade  her  to  lie  down  and  rest  for  a  while,  but 
this  she  refused  to  do,  so  throwing  an  old  coat  over 
her  shoulders  to  keep  out  the  chill,  he  left  her  and 
went  out  to  investigate  the  condition  of  his  horses. 
These  he  found  had  fared  much  better  than  he  had 
hoped.  The  drifting  snow  had  been  blown  into  the 
sagebrush  windbreak  and  formed  a  solid  and  almost 
impenetrable  mass,  behind  which  the  horses,  pro 
tected  by  their  blankets,  stood  in  comparative  comfort. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  109 

The  task  of  digging  from  his  meager  supply  of 
hay,  now  almost  covered  by  a  fyuge  snowdrift,  a 
sufficient  amount  for  their  morning  feed  was  a  hard 
one,  but  upon  its  completion  he  felt  fully  repaid  by 
the  hearty  manner  in  which  it  was  eaten.  Upon 
his  returning  to  the  house  he  found  that  his  wife 
and  daughters  were  up  and  busily  engaged  preparing 
breakfast.  They  asked  eagerly  as  to  the  condition 
of  the  horses,  and  upon  being  assured  that  they 
had  fared  splendidly,  they  laughed  and  joked  over 
their  wild  night's  experience. 

All  through  that  day  and  the  day  following  the 
blizzard  raged  without  any  appreciable  lull  in  its 
terrific  force.  No  effort  was  made  to  repair  the  torn 
paper  on  the  outer  wall.  The  cracks  that  had  been 
hastily  filled  with  paper  and  rags  were  gone  over 
and  made  more  secure,  the  blankets  that  had  been 
used  as  a  shield  in  their  emergency  were  taken  down 
and  dried,  and  the  crude  bed  that  had  been  so  ruth 
lessly  torn  away  from  the  north  wall  was  temporarily 
reconstructed  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  and 
held  out  inviting  prospects  to  Gully,  who  was  now 
beginning  to  feel  more  keenly  the  effect  of  his  long 
vigil  of  the  night  before. 

All  efforts  at  accomplishing  anything  on  the  out 
side  were  abandoned,  and  meals  were  prepared  and 
served  at  irregular  hours.  The  chickens  had  taken 
kindly  to  their  new  quarters,  and  becoming  quite 
tame,  were  a  source  of  amusement  to  the  children. 
Travis  Gully  devoted  his  time  to  the  care  of  his 
horses  and  providing  fuel,  the  latter  occupation  re 
quiring  most  of  his  time,  as  the  enormous  quantity 


110  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

consumed  soon  exhausted  the  supply  near  the  house, 
and  as  more  could  not  be  gotten  while  the  storm 
raged  he  was  forced  to  dig  out  the  old  railroad  ties 
from  the  wind  break  at  the  barn  and  to  use  them  for 
fuel. 

The  storm  spent  its  fury  on  the  desert  dwellers 
sometime  during  the  third  night.  The  lull  came 
while  Gully  and  his  family,  now  inured  to  its  sound, 
were  soundly  sleeping,  and  when  they  awoke  the 
following  morning  they  lay  for  several  moments 
listening  for  the  roar  of  the  wind;  not  hearing  it, 
Gully  knew  that  the  long  wished  for  calm  had  come. 
Dressing  himself,  he  kindled  the  fire,  and  calling  to 
his  wife  that  the  storm  had  ceased,  he  went  out  to 
view  its  work. 

The  sun  had  risen,  but  was  unable  to  penetrate 
the  haze  of  thin  clouds  and  snow  left  floating  along 
the  horizon,  and  looked  down  on  the  desolate  scene 
without  warmth.  The  air  was  cold  and  penetrating, 
huge  piles  of  snow  had  drifted  behind  every  sta 
tionery  object,  and  in  places  where  the  ground  had 
been  cleared  of  brush  and  grass  the  snow  was  swept 
entirely  away  and  the  wind  had  eaten  its  way  into 
the  sandy  soil  and  scattered  it  over  the  adjoining 
snowdrifts,  giving  them  a  yellow,  dingy  appearance. 
Loose  sagebrush  that  had  been  left  piled  and  ready 
to  burn  had  been  taken  up  and  blown  before  the 
wind  until  finding  lodgement  against  some  object, 
had  become  the  base  for  the  formation  of  additional 
snowdrifts  that  extended  in  long  mounds  in  the 
direction  the  wind  had  blown.  The  whole  landscape 
had  a  changed  and  unnatural  appearance. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  111 

Gully  could  see  the  homes  of  some  of  his  neigh 
bors,  but  they  seemed  far  off,  and  no  signs  of  life 
were  visible  except  in  one  or  two  instances  where 
streams  of  thin,  blue  smoke  was  issuing  from  their 
stove  pipes.  Not  a  horse  nor  cow  could  be  seen  upon 
the  range,  and  the  ever  present  hawks  that  were 
wont  to  soar  at  dizzy  heights  above  the  plain  were 
missing.  Noting  these  changes  in  detail,  Gully  won 
dered  if  these  same  conditions  existed  throughout 
the  vast  area.  After  feeding  his  horses,  he  returned 
to  the  house,  where  his  breakfast  awaited  him. 

A  few  days  after  the  passing  of  the  storm  the" 
sun  resumed  its  brilliancy,  but  with  little  increased 
warmth;  the  days  were  clear  and  the  nights  frosty. 
No  effort  was  made  by  Gully  toward  venturing  away 
from  home.  He  replenished  his  supply  of  fuel  and 
covered  the  exposed  cracks  in  the  wall  of  his  shack 
by  nailing  over  them  laths.  The  space  between  the 
cracks  where  the  tar  paper  had  been  town  away 
was  left  bare,  and  the  new  boards  thus  exposed 
glared  in  the  bright  sunlight. 

During  the  time  they  had  been  forced  by  the 
storm  to  remain  in  the  house  many  letters  had  been 
written  to  the  home  folks,  in  which  a  description  of 
the  Christmas  tree  and  the  blizzard  had  been  given. 
These  Gully  was  anxious  to  get  to  the  post  office, 
as  well  as  to  receive  the  mail  that  he  felt  sure  was 
awaiting  his  coming. 

Deciding  one  morning  that  he  would  try  to  reach 
the  village,  he  set  about  arranging  his  plans  to  go 
the  following  day.  To  undertake  to  drive  through 
he  knew  would  be  useless,  as  the  snow  was  drifted 


112  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

so  badly  he  could  not  follow  the  road.  As  the  village 
could  be  plainly  seen  from  his  house  and  there  were 
no  fences  to  obstruct  his  way,  he  thought  it  best  to 
take  one  of  his  horses  on  which  to  pack  out  some 
provisions,  and  go  straight  across  the  wide  snow 
covered  plain. 

Knowing  that  the  trip,  without  mishap,  would 
require  the  whole  of  the  following  day,  he  decided 
to  start  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  to  get  his 
bearings  .  All  preparations  for  the  trip  were  made 
the  night  before,  the  little  bundle  containing  his 
lunch,  the  letters  that  were  to  be  mailed,  and  a  list 
of  the  purchases  that  were  to  be  made  were  placed 
where  they  would  not  be  forgotten,  and  when  Gully 
awoke  the  following  morning  he  quietly  arose,  and 
after  feeding  his  horses  prepared  for  himself  some 
strong,  black  coffee,  which  was  all  the  breakfast  he 
required,  and  without  awakening  the  members  of 
his  family  started  on  his  trip. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  113 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

It  was  a  strange  sight  to  behold,  in  the  dull  gray 
of  the  winter  morning,  a  man  floundering  through 
the  snowdrifts,  leading  behind  him  an  unwilling 
horse  that  could  hardly  be  induced  to  leave  its 
unattractive  but  comfortable  stable.  In  Travis  Gully, 
garbed  as  he  was,  the  horse  could  not  be  expected 
to  recognize  its  owner.  Over  his  hat  he  had  tied 
a  large  red  handkerchief  that  held  the  brim  down 
over  his  ears  and  caused  a  peak  at  front  and  rear 
like  an  old  fashioned  cockaded  hat,  his  mackinaw 
was  bound  around  his  waist  with  a  piece  of  rope, 
and  strips  of  burlap  wound  around  his  legs  extended 
over  and  completely  hid  his  shoes.  His  appearance 
was  more  that  of  a  typical  tramp  than  the  sturdy 
homesteader  he  really  was. 

Owing  to  the  many  difficulties  encountered, 
caused  principally  by  the  sagebrush  that  lay  hidden 
beneath  the  snow  into  which  his  feet  sank  at  every 
step,  he  did  not  reach  his  destination  until  shortly 
after  noon.  There  were  many  in  the  village  who 
expressed  their  surprise  at  his  undertaking  such  a 
trip.  None  of  his  neighbors  had  been  in,  and  no 
word  had  been  received  from  the  district  that  lay 
far  to  the  south  as  to  what  the  result  of  the  blizzard 
had  been.  It  was  feared  that  there  had  been  great 
suffering  among  the  homesteaders,  as  it  was  well 


114  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

known  that  many  of  them  were  poorly  prepared 
for  the  rigor  of  such  a  storm. 

After  attending  to  his  business  no  time  was  lost 
in  starting  on  the  homeward  trip.  With  his  few 
groceries  securely  wrapped  in  two  compact  bundles 
and  fastened  to  each  end  of  a  rope,  they  were 
thrown  across  a  comfortable  canvas  pad  and  lashed 
to  the  horse's  back,  the  weight  being  as  nearly 
equally  divided  as  was  possible,  the  crude  pack  was 
adjusted  and  the  tedious  retracing  of  their  tracks 
begun. 

Gully  had  not  taken  time  to  eat  his  lunch,  but 
had  placed  it  in  the  pocket  of  his  mackinaw,  intend 
ing  to  eat  it  as  he  traveled,  thereby  avoiding  the 
loss  of  time.  The  mail  that  he  had  found  waiting 
for  him  was  tied  in  a  packet  and  placed  securely  in 
his  inside  pocket,  that  it  might  be  kept  dry  in  case 
he  was  overtaken  by  another  blizzard.  He  had  not 
read  any  of  the  letters  or  even  glanced  at  the  head 
lines  of  the  little  home  weekly,  several  issues  of 
which  had  accumulated  at  the  post  office,  and  as 
he  trudged  his  weary  way  through  the  deep  snow 
he  tried  to  imagine  to  himself  what  messages  they 
bore,  whether  their  contents  were  joyous  or  sad, 
and  in  his  wandering  thoughts  he  compared  his 
present  plight  with  the  winters  he  had  spent  in  the 
East  and  asked  himself  if  he  would  be  willing  to 
exchange  the  present  hardships  and  inconveniences 
for  the  old  condition,  and  laughed  at  the  thought. 

"No,  I  will  not  go  back  to  the  life  of  a  renter 
under  any  circumstances.  I  have  hardly  started 
on  the  task  of  making  a  home,"  he  told  himself, 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  115 

and  the  thought  of  abandoning  the  dream  was 
ridiculous.  "Minnie  and  the  children  are  well  and 
happy,  and  even  if  we  did  not  raise  good  crops  for 
the  first  year  or  so,  think  what  it  will  be  when  the 
irrigation  ditch  comes  through,"  and  as  he  discussed 
these  questions  in  his  mind  he  ate  his  lunch,  never 
stopping  for  a  moment. 

The  horse,  now  that  he  was  headed  in  the  direc 
tion  of  home,  kept  pace  with  its  master,  and  with 
his  nose  at  his  elbow  was  ready  to  receive  the 
occasional  piece  of  crust  that  was  given  him,  and 
not  satisfied  with  his  scant  allowance,  nipped  at  his 
sleeve  and  teased  for  more. 

Upon  looking  back  Gully  noticed  that  the  pack 
had  slipped  and  stopped  to  replace  it  and  to  tighten 
the  rope.  He  then  saw  that  evening  was  approach 
ing,  and  glanced  back  toward  the  village  to  estimate 
the  distance  he  had  covered.  His  own  home  he  could 
plainly  see,  and  he  noted  the  smoke  as  it  poured 
from  the  stovepipe  and  realized  that  this  meant 
the  preparation  of  a  warm  supper  with  which  he 
would  be  greeted  upon  his  return. 

He  pushed  on.  The  constant  snagging  of  the 
burlaps  in  which  his  feet  were  encased,  as  he  sank 
deep  in  the  snow  and  sagebrush,  had  torn  it  away 
until  his  shoes  were  exposed,  and  as  he  wore  no 
rubbers,  his  feet  were  wet  and  numb,  and  he  knew 
that  later  the  cold  would  become  more  severe.  The 
sky  was  overcast  with  clouds,  and  he  realized  the 
dangers  of  being  lost  on  the  desert  on  such  a  night 
as  this  promised  to  be,  so  he  put  forth  his  every 
effort  to  reach  his  home  before  the  darkness  fell. 


116  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

The  horse,  now  eager  to  reach  home  and  enjoy 
the  long  deferred  feed  and  warmth  of  the  stable, 
was  crowding  his  master's  footsteps  and  threatened 
at  every  faltering  movement  to  be  upon  him.  Gully 
was  soon  forced  from  fatigue  to  give  up  all  hopes 
of  reaching  his  home  before  dark,  and  was  satisfied 
to  think  that  he  was  near  enough  to  be  guided  by 
a  beacon  light  that  he  felt  sure  would  be  placed  in 
the  window.  Stopping  for  a  few  moments  to  recover 
his  breath,  he  looked  longingly  toward  the  little 
black  dot  that  could  be  dimly  seen  against  the  back 
ground  of  snow,  knowing  that  it  was  but  a  mere 
speck  on  the  desert.  Yet  it  was  his  refuge  and 
contained  his  world. 

As  he  rested  and  watched  the  shades  of  evening 
settle  and  creep  down  the  distant  mountain  side, 
he  took  his  horse's  nose  between  his  hands  and, 
carressing  it,  enjoyed  the  warmth  of  the  hot  steaming 
breath.  Then  he  cast  one  more  glance  in  the  direc 
tion  of  his  home;  it  had  faded  from  his  view  and 
was  lost  in  the  corresponding  darkness,  but  in  its 
stead  a  small  twinkling  light  gleamed  feebly  across 
the  snow.  It  was  scarcely  larger  than  the  flame  of 
one  of  the  Christmas  tree  candles  and  was  many 
miles  away;  yet  it  warmed  his  heart  as  no  other 
flame  could  have  done. 

Speaking  encouragingly  to  his  horse,  they  resumed 
their  toilsome  journey,  and  never  faltering  or 
stopping,  followed  the  guidance  of  the  little  light 
for  another  hour,  and  Gully  staggered  into  his  yard, 
his  trip  ended.  But  conditions  had  been  reversed; 
the  horse  had  led  him  home.  Wearily  he  removed 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  117 

the  pack,  and  placing  it  upon  the  ground  near  the 
kitchen  door,  was  in  the  act  of  reaching  for  the  mail 
to  hand  to  his  wife  when  his  strength  gave  out  and 
he  collapsed.  Numb  with  the  cold,  and  with  his 
trousers  frozen  fast  to  his  shoes,  he  was  helped  into 
the  house.  The  horse,  upon  gaining  his  freedom 
when  his  master's  hand  had  released  its  hold  on  the 
rope,  went  to  its  place  in  the  barn  and  munched 
hungrily  at  the  hay  that  had  been  placed  there  to 
await  his  coming. 

The  warmth  of  the  room  and  a  cup  of  steaming 
hot  coffee  soon  revived  Gully,  and  after  being  pro 
vided  with  warm  dry  clothing  he  ate  supper  with 
his  family  and  listened  in  a  dazed  manner  to  the 
reading  of  the  news  from  home.  But  the  stupor 
induced  by  the  exposure  and  tremendous  exertion 
finally  overcome  him,  and  he  was  forced  to  retire. 

After  Minnie  Gully  had  assured  herself  that  her 
husband  was  comfortable  and  sleeping  soundly,  she 
quietly  slipped  from  the  room,  closing  the  door  that 
led  into  the  kitchen  as  she  came  out  for  fear  that 
the  chatter  of  the  children  might  disturb  him. 
Clearing  away  the  dishes  from  the  supper  table 
she  brought  out  the  letters  and  papers  that  had 
been  received  that  day  and  carefully  reread  every 
line  of  the  letters  from  home.  An  occasional  smile 
would  brighten  her  countenance  as  she  came  upon 
some  bit  of  homely  advice  or  some  suggestion  from 
her  dear  old  mother,  suggestions  that  would  have 
been  applicable  to  the  Minnie  Gully  of  old,  the  tired, 
haggard  daughter  her  mother  had  last  seen,  but  to 
the  robust,  cheerful  woman  she  had  now  grown  to 
be  they  were  amusing. 


118  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

After  having  read  the  last  of  the  letters  she 
dropped  her  hands  upon  the  table  before  her  and 
sat  staring  at  the  open  pages,  reading  between  the 
lines.  How  plainly  she  could  see  the  old  home,  the 
very  room  in  which  this  letter  was  written.  Twas 
evening,  probably  Saturday.  Yes,  it  was  Saturday, 
for  there  was  father's  Bible  and  scattered  notes. 
He  had  been  preparing  his  sermon  for  the  morrow. 
His  spectacle  case  was  laying  on  the  loose  pages. 
He  had  got  up  and  moved  his  chair  to  the  opposite 
side  of  the  table,  and  was  seated  by  mother,  who 
with  toil  stiffened  fingers  was  laborously  writing 
this  letter.  How  plain  it  all  was,  and  how  her  heart 
ached,  not  from  homesickness  nor  from  a  desire  to 
see  and  be  with  them,  but  rather  to  cry  out  to  them 
and  tell  them  what  they  had  missed.  They,  in  their 
crowded  communities,  even  in  the  rural  districts, 
knew  nothing  of  the  wild  delights  of  perfect  free 
dom  and  unlimited  space.  She  had  always  been 
crowded;  she  knew  it  now.  She  had  never  known 
or  felt  until  now  the  exhilerating  thrills  of  doing 
something,  doing  something  worth  while.  Fighting, 
yes,  that  was  the  word;  fighting  the  elements,  doing 
battle  with  unadorned  nature,  free  from  the  artifices 
of  mankind. 

Oh!  if  she  could  only  make  them  understand  the 
inexpressable  joy  of  conquest.  The  joy  of  breathing 
pure  air;  breathing  it  out  in  the  open;  air  that  had 
probably  never  come  in  contact  with  the  nostrils  of 
a  living  creature.  Even  though  the  air  at  times 
might  be  laden  with  sand  that  stifled  and  choked,  it 
was  dust  that  had  been  torn  from  a  virgin  soil,  and 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  119 

was  uncontaminated  from  having  been  trodden  under 
foot  by  a  hurrying  multitude  of  human  beings.  And 
the  mountains — how  she  loved  them — she  never  tired 
of  their  ever  changing  beauty  and  grandeur.  Still 
retaining  the  hold  on  the  letter,  Minnie  Gully  arose 
from  the  table,  and  going  to  the  outside  kitchen  door, 
threw  it  open  and  stepped  out.  Not  until  she  was 
met  by  the  cold  air  and  the  blackness  of  the  night 
did  she  realize  how  completely  she  had  been  lost 
to  her  surroundings. 

Laughing  aloud  at  her  foolish  flights  of  thought, 
she  hurriedly  tossed  back  the  few  stands  of  hair 
that  had  been  displaced  by  the  cold  breeze  and 
returned  immediately  into  the  room.  She  gathered 
up  the  letters  and  scattered  papers  and  put  them 
away,  after  which  she  joined  in  the  conversation 
and  games  with  the  children;  but  the  thoughts  of 
the  home  folks  remained  with  her.  She  wanted 
them  to  feel  as  she  felt  and  to  reap  some  of  the 
benefits  of  this  land  of  health,  and  be  a  factor  in 
its  development. 

Long  after  she  and  the  children  had  gone  to  bed 
she  lay  and  thought  of  her  girlhood  friends,  whom 
she  knew  would  live  their  prosaic  lives  without  ever 
having  known  the  joys,  miseries,  delights  and  sor 
rows  that  enter  into  the  daily  life  of  a  pioneer,  and 
she  wanted  to  help  them;  she  went  to  sleep  with 
visions  of  herself  as  a  great  benefactress  distributing 
happiness  to  thousands  of  her  kind. 

The  passing  of  the  blizzard  marked  the  turning 
point  of  the  winter,  and  the  weather  throughout  the 
month  of  January  was  nice,  and  while  the  snow  did 


120  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

not  disappear,  there  was  only  an  occasional  flurry 
added  nothing  to  the  quantity  on  the  ground.  The 
social  meetings  at  the  school  house  were  not  resumed 
after  the  Christmas  tree,  owing  to  the  extreme  cold, 
but  the  neighbors  visited  with  each  other  and  met 
frequently  at  the  store  in  the  village.  At  such  times 
when  two  or  more  were  together  the  principal  topic 
was  the  blizzard.  Although  the  country  was  com 
paratively  new  in  its  settlement  there  was  always 
the  proverbial  "oldest  inhabitant"  who  could  recall 
"Just  such  another  winter,"  but  to  those  who  actually 
knew,  it  had  been  by  far  the  worst  blizzard  the 
country  had  ever  known  since  the  advent  of  the 
white  man. 

There  was  a  legend  told  by  the  Indians  of  the 
Northwest  of  the  winter  of  the  long  ago  when  the 
snow  was  so  deep  in  the  mountains  that  the  deer, 
driven  from  their  natural  haunts  in  the  mountains, 
had  crossed  on  the  surface  of  the  frozen  Columbia 
river  in  search  of  food  and  died  by  the  thousands 
on  the  plain.  This,  to  a  certain  extent,  was  verified 
by  the  occasional  finding  of  antlers,  bleached  white 
by  years  of  exposure  to  the  rays  of  the  desert  sun. 

The  matter  of  irrigation  was  now  seldom  men 
tioned.  That  the  party  of  Government  surveyors 
who  had  worked  on  the  project  the  summer  before 
had  left  with  their  equipment  at  the  first  approach 
of  winter  was  known,  but  as  to  whether  they  were 
to  return,  or  had  completed  their  investigation, 
was  left  to  conjecture. 

With  the  arrival  of  February  came  the  first  real 
spring  weather.  A  chinook  wind  came,  and  after 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  121 

blowing  for  two  nights  and  a  day,  had  melted  the 
snow  to  such  an  extent  that  the  only  traces  of  it 
to  be  found  was  where  it  had  drifted  into  an  aban 
doned  badger  or  coyote  den  and  escaped  the  warm 
breath  of  the  chinook.  There  being  no  frost  in  the 
ground  the  moisture  created  by  the  melting  snow 
sank  deep  into  the  soil  and  was  stored  away  for 
future  use.  The  sun,  as  it  rose  higher  with  each 
lengthening  day,  dispensed  its  increasing  warmth, 
thereby  reviving  the  earlier  varieties  of  plant  life 
with  startling  rapidity. 

Gully  having  cleared  a  number  of  acres  of  sage 
brush,  was  anxiously  awaiting  seasonable  weather 
for  plowing,  that  he  might  sow  his  grain  early  and 
get  it  up  and  well  rooted  before  the  spring  winds 
came,  thinking  that  by  adopting  this  method  it  would 
survive.  There  was  plenty  to  do  before  the  ground 
was  in  a  condition  for  plowing.  Seed  grain  and 
feed  was  to  be  hauled  from  the  wheat  growing  dis 
trict  of  the  Big  Bend  country,  and  a  supply  of  pro 
visions  procured,  that  a  trip  to  the  village  would 
not  be  required  of  the  team  during  the  plowing  and 
seeding  time.  The  cistern  was  to  be  filled  and  as 
much  more  ground  made  ready  for  the  plow  as  was 
possible  before  the  rush. 

Plans  for  the  accomplishment  of  all  this  had  been 
carefully  made  by  Gully  and  his  wife,  and  they  were 
eager  to  begin.  As  the  roads  were  in  excellent 
condition  while  the  sand  was  wet  and  settled,  Gully 
borrowed  a  team  to  work  with  his  own  from  one  of 
his  neighbors  and  went  for  his  seed  grain,  the  trip 
requiring  two  days. 


122  THE   LAND   OP  LURE 

Upon  his  return  from  this  trip  he  and  his  entire 
family  drove  to  the  village.  There  was  no  great 
amount  of  shopping  to  be  done,  as  Gully's  funds 
were  about  exhausted,  but  one  of  the  merchants  in 
the  town  had  promised  to  supply  him  with  provisions 
until  the  harvest  season.  The  family  was  taken 
along  that  they  might  enjoy  the  outing,  and  as  the 
weather  was  bright  and  there  was  no  dust  or  blister 
ing  sun,  the  trip  was  often  looked  back  to  as  one  of 
the  most  pleasant  they  had  ever  taken. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  123 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

By  the  last  of  March  the  grain  had  all  been  sown 
and  the  first  of  the  planting  was  beginning  to  force 
its  tender  shoots  through  the  surface.  The  sun  was 
growing  brighter  with  each  day  and  everything 
pointed  to  an  early  spring. 

Travis  Gully,  with  his  wife  and  children,  toiled 
early  and  late,  making  the  best  of  the  favorable 
season.  Grudgingly  they  stopped  for  their  meals 
and  time  for  their  horses  to  feed.  Night  brought 
no  diminishing  of  their  labors;  brush  was  piled 
and  burned,  and  even  trips  to  the  well  for  water 
were  made  by  moonlight. 

It  became  the  custom  of  the  settler  that  when 
one  of  them  went  to  town  to  bring  out  the  mail  for 
the  neighbors  who  lived  along  their  route  home,  and 
to  call  and  deliver  it  when  passing.  Almost  daily 
mail  came  to  the  Gullys  by  this  means,  letters  from 
people  with  whom  they  had  been  but  slightly  ac 
quainted,  asking  for  information  in  regard  to  the 
Northwest,  of  the  chances  for  a  man  with  but  limited 
means,  and  the  possibilities  of  their  procuring  a  piece 
of  the  free  land  for  a  home. 

Gully  made  no  effort  to  reply  to  all  these  inquiries, 
nor  did  he  feel  justified  in  holding  out  alluring  pros 
pects  to  the  writers,  although  he  himself  had  absolute 
faith  and  confidence  in  the  ultimate  success  of  his 


124  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

undertaking.  He  was  not  certain  as  to  whether  all 
the  anxious  seekers  for  a  home  would  be  willing  to 
endure,  or  could  withstand,  the  hardships  incident 
to  the  establishment  of  a  home  in  the  desert. 

He  would  sit  and  talk  the  matter  over  with  his 
wife  during  the  evenings  and  at  other  spare  times, 
and  they  agreed  that  while  it  would  be  nice  to  have 
some  of  their  old  friends  as  neighbors,  the  pleasure 
of  their  coming  would  be  marred  should  conditions 
prove  unsatisfactory  upon  their  arrival. 

They  could  recall  a  few  of  those  among  their 
former  friends  whom  they  felt  assured  would  be 
easily  convinced  of  the  splendid  future  this  country 
had,  but  there  were  others,  many  others,  who  they 
knew  would  expect  to  find  conditions  such  as  would 
guarantee  immediate  profitable  results  from  their 
efforts.  Of  this  latter  class  they  were  afraid,  as 
evidence  of  their  kind  having  been  there  and  tried, 
failed  and  gone  their  way,  was  at  every  hand  visible, 
and  they  did  not  care  to  be  held  to  blame  for  their 
disappointment. 

So  they  finally  decided  to  write  a  letter  to  the 
editor  of  their  little  home  paper,  that  it  might  be 
published,  a  letter  setting  forth  bare  facts.  Condi 
tions  as  they  existed,  without  embellishment,  the  good 
and  the  evil  alike,  and  let  those  who  might  read 
choose  for  themselves. 

The  preparation  of  this  letter  was  a  source  of 
both  worry  and  amusement  to  Travis  Gully  and  his 
wife,  and  required  several  nights  for  its  completion. 
Worry  that  in  their  enthusiasm  and  optimism  they 
might  make  it  too  favorable  in  its  tone,  that  they 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  125 

might  infuse  into  it  too  much  of  their  individual 
hopes  and  aspirations  of  which  they  had  dreamed 
until  they  had  become  almost  a  reality.  And  again 
they  would  burst  into  hearty  laughter  at  the  recount 
ing  of  some  of  their  experiences,  never  realizing  that 
these  little  incidents  must  be  lived  through  to  be 
appreciated. 

When  the  letter  was  written,  and  after  having 
been  read  and  altered  and  rewritten  a  number  of 
times,  it  was  finally  pronounced  satisfactory  and 
sealed,  ready  for  mailing.  Nearly  a  week  elapsed 
before  an  opportunity  to  send  the  important  packet 
to  the  post  office  came,  and  then  only  by  the  merest 
chance. 

The  news  of  the  activities  of  the  Government 
surveyors  in  the  region  the  summer  before  had  been 
spread  broadcast  throughout  the  East,  and  unscrupu 
lous  land  boomers  had  announced  that  the  reclama 
tion  by  the  Government  of  the  vast  area  was  an 
assured  fact,  some  even  going  so  far  as  to  announce 
the  exact  amount  of  the  appropriation  made  by  Con 
gress  for  this  purpose  and  so,  as  a  result  of  this, 
and  also  to  the  fact  that  the  railroads  had  again  put 
on  a  homeseekers  excursion  rate,  the  early  spring 
brought  an  unusually  large  number  of  prospective 
settlers  into  the  community. 

They  came  in  parties,  toiling  their  way  across  the 
level  stretch  of  country,  now  still  moist  from  the 
melted  snow,  showed  no  evidence  of  the  clouds  of 
sand  and  dust  that  would  follow  after  a  few  short 
weeks  of  sunshine.  The  surface  of  the  unplowed 
ground  was  thickly  carpeted  with  a  specie  of  fine 


126  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

grass,  known  as  sheep  grass,  that  always  came  first 
in  the  spring,  to  be  followed  by  the  more  succulent 
bunch  grass. 

Myriads  of  tiny  plants  were  pushing  their  way 
through  the  surface  and  many  were  bursting  into 
full  blossom  before  they  had  lifted  their  dainty  heads 
more  than  a  few  inches  above  the  grass  roots.  Many 
and  varied  were  their  shapes  and  colors,  each  vieing 
with  the  other  in  hastening  to  bloom,  that  it  might 
flaunt  its  beauty  for  the  longest  possible  time  before 
being  forced  to  close  its  petals  by  the  ever  increasing 
heat  of  the  sun. 

To  those  of  the  tourists  who  came  at  this  season 
of  the  year  the  prospects  were  most  inviting.  Never 
had  they,  in  their  homes  in  the  East,  had  such  a 
range  of  vision,  such  an  unlimited  expanse  to  sweep 
with  their  bewildered  eyes,  and  the  kaleidoscopic 
changes  came  so  rapidly,  as  they  turned  to  admire  it. 

It  was  like  a  dream.  Starting  with  the  snow 
capped  peaks  of  the  mountains,  they  could  follow 
the  scene  downward  past  the  snowline,  over  the 
barren  space  that  intervenes  between  it  and  the 
timber,  which  starts  in  with  its  varied  shades  of 
green,  the  peculiar,  yellowish  green  of  the  tamarack, 
that  seldom  grows  at  an  altitude  of  less  than  three 
thousand  feet.  Intermingled  with  this  would  appear 
the  spots  of  dull  brown,  showing  the  clumps  of 
sarvic  berries  and  choke  cherries,  the  favorite  haunts 
of  the  bear  and  deer.  Towering  above  these  thickets 
the  slender  white  trunks  and  branches  of  the  quaking 
asp  could  be  plainly  seen.  Farther  down  the  shades 
of  green  become  darker  as  the  forests  of  fir,  pine 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  127 

and  cedar  come  within  the  range  of  vision.  Flaming 
patches  of  sumach  adorn  the  edges  of  the  rocky  spots 
that  occasionally  occurred  in  the  picture.  On  down 
ward  the  dull  gray  of  the  sagebrush  marks  the 
upper  rim  of  the  breaks  of  the  Columbia  river, 
then  a  blank  of  smooth  rock  wall  that  drops  for 
hundreds  of  feet  to  the  water's  edge.  The  river 
itself  is  hidden  from  view  by  the  undulating  hills 
that  lay  immediately  adjacent  to  the  plains.  Here 
the  scene  changes  from  its  wild  rugged  beauty  to 
one  indicating  the  presence  of  mankind.  The  vast 
expanse  of  sagebrush  is  dotted  here  and  there  with 
square  patches  of  a  new  and  different  shade  of 
green,  the  green  of  the  freshly  growing  grain,  each 
of  these  being  marked  by  the  presence  of  a  newly 
constructed  home.  The  green  of  the  grain  fields 
and  the  bare,  unpainted  walls  of  the  homes  refuse 
to  harmonize  with  the  color  scheme  of  the  desert 
and  are  easily  distinguished  as  not  being  a  part 
thereof,  and  do  not  figure  in  the  picture.  Passing 
them  by  with  a  hasty  glance,  barely  sufficient  to  note 
their  remoteness,  one  from  the  other,  the  beholder 
allows  his  gaze  to  gradually  take  notice  of  objects 
nearer  at  hand,  and  finally  to  lower  his  eyes,  with 
a  sigh  of  satisfaction,  and  looks  with  wonder  into 
the  faces  of  the  little  desert  flowers  blooming  happily 
at  his  very  feet,  and  asks  himself  what  connection 
there  is  between  these  two,  the  glacial  peaks  and  the 
tiny  desert  flower,  so  different  in  every  way,  and 
yet  both  so  necessary  for  the  completion  of  the 
picture. 


128  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

Travis  Gully  and  his  wife  anxiously  awaited  the 
arrival  of  the  copy  of  the  paper  in  which  their  letter 
was  to  be  published  and  given  to  the  world,  and 
when  it  came  they  reread  every  word,  and  felt 
reassured  that  it  contained  no  misleading  statements, 
no  invitation  to  others  to  come  unprepared  to  take 
up  the  hardships  of  the  life  of  a  homesteader,  but 
the  entire  article  teemed  with  the  elements  of  hope 
and  optimism  that  showed  their  faith  in  a  successful 
end. 

During  April  and  May  the  influx  of  homeseekers 
was  at  its  height,  and  almost  daily  parties  of  pros 
pective  settlers  stopped  at  the  Gully  home  for  infor 
mation  as  to  directions  and  locations  of  pieces  of 
land  they  wished  to  secure.  Gully's  first  year's 
experience  had  given  him  knowledge  of  conditions 
that  had  enabled  him  to  overcome  to  a  certain  degree 
some  of  the  difficulties  with  which  he  had  to  contend. 
During  his  enforced  idleness  of  the  winter  just 
passed  he  had  planned  the  course  he  proposed  to 
pursue  during  the  ensuing  year.  He  had  decided 
to  introduce  some  of  the  dry  land  farming  methods 
that  had  been  successfully  tried  out  in  other  sections 
of  the  Northwest,  an  idea  of  which  he  had  gleaned 
from  some  Government  Bulletins  that  had  been  given 
him  by  the  postmaster  of  the  village. 

As  a  result  of  his  experiments  along  these  lines, 
and  due  to  a  most  favorable  season  in  the  way  of 
absence  of  hard  winds  and  seasonable  showers, 
Gully's  homestead  presented  a  most  creditable  ap 
pearance.  His  field  of  wheat  was  by  far  the  best 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  as  he  had  planted  nothing 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  129 

but  the  most  hardy  varieties  of  corn  and  vegetables 
his  garden  promised  to  be  a  success,  and  as  a  result 
of  the  showing  he  was  making,  his  place  became 
one  of  the  points  of  interest  to  which  most  of  the 
visitors  were  directed  by  the  people  of  the  village, 
or  to  which  the  real  estate  agents  always  brought 
their  clients,  and  would  exclaim:  "What  this  man 
has  done  in  this  country  others  can  do." 

Spurred  on  by  his  success  and  the  ever  increasing 
feeling  of  independence,  Travis  Gully  toiled  on  thru- 
out  the  spring.  The  constant  recurrence  of  visitors 
to  view  their  home  was  a  source  of  diversion  to 
the  Gullys,  and  a  means  whereby  many  dollars  came 
into  their  possession. 

They  made  no  charge  for  the  hospitality  extended 
to  the  strangers  who  came  their  way,  but  the  offering 
of  a  glass  of  water  or,  as  was  often  the  case,  a 
lunch  and  an  hour's  rest  to  the  tired,  dusty  travelers 
who  could  not  but  see  and  appreciate  their  condition, 
was  always  rewarded  by  liberal  offerings  of  change, 
made  in  most  instances  to  the  children.  Thus  the 
immediate  requirements  of  the  family  were  met  and 
a  small  amount  saved. 

As  the  summer  approached  and  the  unusual 
showers  became  less  frequent,  the  fitful  gusts  of 
wind  started  the  restless  sand,  but  too  late  to  harm 
the  grain  that  was  now  beginning  to  assume  the 
golden  tint  that  foretold  an  early  harvest.  The 
garden  was  beginning  to  wilt  beneath  the  hot  sun- 
rays,  but  the  ingenuity  of  Gully  saved  it.  At  the 
root  of  the  melon  vines  and  other  plants  empty 
cans  were  imbedded  into  which  the  waste  water 


130  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

was  poured  and  allowed  to  filter  slow  through,  and 
by  this  method  sufficient  moisture  was  given  the 
plants  to  mature  them,  and  the  yield  was  abundant. 

The  favorable  season  in  the  desert  region  had 
renewed  the  hopes  of  those  who  had  chosen  to  make 
it  their  home,  and  scenes  of  unusual  activity  were 
apparent  at  every  hand.  New  tracts  of  land  were 
being  cleared  and  plowed,  and  new  buildings  sprang 
up  overnight;  their  glistening  bare  walls  could  be 
'seen  in  many  directions. 

The  services  of  a  Miss  Anderson  as  teacher  for 
the  little  school  had  been  secured,  and  though  the 
season  was  late  for  starting,  it  was  opened,  and 
each  school  morning,  early,  the  Gully  children  went 
joyfully  across  the  sagebrush  plain  to  the  little  school 
building,  where  they  were  joined  by  some  half  dozen 
other  children  who  came  from  as  many  different 
directions. 

The  glint  of  the  sunrays  on  their  brightly  shining 
dinner  pails  flashed  heliographic  warning  of  their 
approach  long  before  the  small  pupils  could  be  seen. 
The  Sunday  School  was  reorganized  and  the  meetings 
of  the  literary  society  resumed.  The  hardships  of 
the  past  winter  were  almost  forgotten  and  were 
seldom  referred  to. 

The  middle  of  the  month  of  June  brought  the 
harvest  season.  The  grain  in  the  desert  maturing 
and  ripening  several  weeks  in  advance  of  that  in 
the  grain  belt  to  the  north,  thus  affording  the  home 
steader  an  opportunity  to  harvest  their  grain  at 
home  before  leaving  for  the  grain  fields  for  their 
regular  season's  run. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  131 

Gully,  whose  harvest  at  home  had  yielded  excep 
tional  returns  for  which  he  found  a  ready  market 
among  his  neighbors,  was  undecided  as  to  whether 
to  make  another  trip  into  the  Big  Bend  country  or 
remain  at  home  and  improve  his  place.  But  the 
desire  to  have  a  well,  with  abundance  of  water, 
which  would  give  him  an  opportunity  to  irrigate 
and  develop  his  home,  soon  caused  him  to  decide  to 
go.  He  had  not  forgotten  his  experience  of  the  fall 
before,  and  his  firm  resolve  never  to  leave  his  family 
alone  in  the  desert  again,  but  conditions  had  changed 
since  them.  They  were  better  provided  for,  and 
there  were  neighbors,  many  of  whom  would  have 
to  leave  for  the  winter,  but  still  there  were  among 
them  many  who  would  leave  their  families  behind. 
Besides  he  had  bought  another  team  and  what  they 
could  earn,  together  with  his  earnings,  would  enable 
him  to  secure  the  coveted  well,  and  he  would  not 
have  to  leave  again. 

As  for  the  work,  he  was  better  equipped  now 
and  would  know  what  to  expect  and  consequently 
make  the  best  of  it.  Thus  he  reasoned,  and  after 
fully  determining  to  go,  he  wrote  to  the  grower  for 
whom  he  had  worked  the  previous  fall  and  arranged 
for  work  during  the  coming  season. 

The  summer  now  being  on,  the  heat  of  the  sun 
was  terrific,  and  no  effort  was  made  to  accomplish 
anything  during  the  day.  When  trips  to  the  village 
became  necessary  the  start  was  made  early,  and  the 
home  coming  frequently  postponed  until  after  sun 
down,  to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  the  midday  drive 
over  the  hot  dusty  roads.  Rains  were  a  thing  of 


132  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

the  past  now,  and  the  desert  began  to  assume  its 
accustomed  dry,  parched  appearance.  Many  of  the 
newcomers  who  had  moved  in  during  the  early 
spring,  when  conditions  were  most  favorable,  were 
now  becoming  alarmed,  and  questioned  the  wisdom 
of  their  choice,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  positive 
evidence  of  the  possibilities  of  the  district  as  seen 
at  the  Gully  place,  many  of  them  would  have  become 
discouraged  and  given  up  in  despair. 

To  many  of  these  unfortunates  the  village  was 
the  only  source  of  comfort.  They  would  congregate 
there  during  the  day  and  discuss  the  various  subjects 
pertaining  to  home  building  in  the  wilderness.  Many 
of  them  had  had  no  experience  at  farming  even 
under  the  most  favorable  conditions,  and  these  pre 
sented  a  most  pitiful  appearance  and  woebegone 
manner.  Fresh  from  within  the  confines  of  shop 
or  office  and  launched  upon  a  life  of  hardships  and 
exposure,  upon  a  sea  of  blistering  sands,  sizzling 
sagebrush  and  bunch  grass,  it  was  no  wonder  they 
blistered,  peeled,  freckled  and  tanned  and  seemed 
to  shrivel  and  slouch  when  they  had  lain  aside  their 
neat  fitting  business  suit  and  donned  their  overalls. 
It  was  a  cruel  test  of  stamina  and  manhood,  and  a 
surprising  few  that  withstood  it. 

Many  of  the  earlier  settlers  adhered  to  the  belief 
that  help  would  come  to  them  through  irrigation, 
and  the  fact  of  the  surveyors  having  been  in  the 
field  the  summer  before  was  related  to  the  new 
settlers  with  convincing  arguments  that  it  had  to 
come.  Still  no  one  had  ever  heard  the  slightest 
intimation  of  what  the  surveyors  had  accomplished 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  133 

in  the  way  of  favorable  results  or  the  nature  of  their 
official  report. 

The  fact  of  this  silence  was  looked  upon  by  many 
as  a  good  omen,  and  wild  rumors  were  set  afloat 
that  the  survey  had  been  successful,  and  the  plans 
for  the  installation  of  the  gigantic  system  were  then 
being  prepared.  On  one  occasion,  while  gathering 
driftwood  along  the  shores  of  the  Columbia,  a  home 
steader  saw  a  man  working  among  the  rocky  cliffs 
far  above  him.  He  hastily  drove  home  and  reported 
his  discovery  to  his  neighbors,  who  added  their  ideas 
to  the  importance  of  this  discovery,  and  by  the 
next  day  it  was  a  matter  of  common  talk  upon 
the  streets  of  the  village  that  work  had  started  on 
the  foundation  for  a  huge  power  plant,  to  generate 
electricity  for  pumping.  And  so  it  went,  every 
mysterious  move  or  unusual  occurrence  immediately 
became  the  subject  for  speculation,  and  was  supposed 
to  have  some  bearing  on  the  reclamation  of  the 
land  with  which  they  were  now  battling  to  bring 
into  a  state  of  productiveness. 

Travis  Gully  was  looked  upon  as  a  wizard,  and 
his  accomplishments  under  the  existing  conditions 
were  the  wonder  of  the  neighborhood.  Each  little 
real  estate  office  and  many  of  the  stores  contained 
specimens  of  the  stalks  of  grain,  corn  or  other 
varieties  of  products  grown  by  him.  Many  articles 
appeared  in  the  papers  published  throughout  the 
territory  telling  of  what  he  had  accomplished  under 
his  system  of  farming,  and  he  frequently  received 
communications  asking  for  information  as  to  the 
methods  or  kind  of  seed  he  had  used.  To  all  such 


134  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

he  could  only  reply  that  his  success  was  as  much  of 
a  surprise  to  him  as  to  others,  and  he  took  no  special 
credit  to  himself.  But  it  pleased  him  to  think  that 
it  had  fallen  to  his  lot  to  prove  to  the  world  that 
his  faith  in  the  productiveness  of  the  soil  was  well 
founded. 

To  Minnie  Gully  the  effect  of  their  success  for  the 
year  was  entirely  different.  She  knew,  or  thought 
she  knew,  that  it  was  due  to  the  superiority  of 
Travis'  management.  "Had  he  not  studied  the 
matter,  and  learned  the  exact  time  for  plowing  and 
seeding?  Had  he  not  so  arranged  the  clearing  of 
the  land  as  to  leave  the  sagebrush  intact  upon  the 
high  ground,  that  it  might  break  the  force  of  the 
wind,  thus  protecting  the  tender  plants?  And  who 
but  he  would  have  had  the  forethought  to  save  every 
condensed  milk  can  that  had  been  emptied,  and  had 
even  brought  hundreds  of  others  to  utilize  in  his 
novel  method  of  irrigation  for  the  vegetables  and 
few  nicely  growing  fruit  and  shade  trees?  Had  she 
not  saved  every  particle  of  waste  water,  even  to  the 
water  used  for  the  weekly  laundering,  and  she  and 
the  children  poured  it  carefully  into  the  cans  at 
the  roots  of  the  plants  and  covered  them  that  the 
sand  might  not  drift  in  and  absorb  the  precious 
moisture?" 

It  was  not  chance  to  her.  She  felt  that  if  they 
had  acquired  the  distinction  of  being  the  most  success 
ful  homesteaders  in  the  district,  they  were  entitled 
to  it,  and  she  prided  herself  on  the  fact;  and  she 
resolved  that  in  the  event  of  their  securing  a  well, 
with  abundance  of  water,  even  though  irrigation 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  135 

never  came,  she  would  show  the  world  further  proof 
of  what  could  be  done,  and  would  devote  her  life 
to  making  their  home  an  ideal  one. 

Her  blood  would  surge  through  her  veins,  and 
with  flushed  face  and  sparkling  eyes  she  would  go 
out  into  the  yard  and  approaching  one  of  the  grow 
ing  trees,  then  mere  switches,  would  fondle  its  few 
green  leaves  and  look  upward,  as  if  measuring  the 
vast  expanse  above  to  see  if  she  might  imagine  the 
height  to  which  it  would  attain.  She  would  go  to 
the  grain  stack,  and  rubbing  out  in  the  palm  of  her 
hand  a  few  of  the  well  filled  heads,  blow  away  the 
husks  and  chaff,  and  admire  the  plump  red  grains, 
finally  casting  them  to  the  patiently  waiting  chickens, 
and  return  singing  joyously  into  the  house  and 
resume  her  household  duties,  a  different  Minnie  Gully 
of  a  short  year  before. 


136  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 


CHAPTER  XV. 

By  the  last  of  July  the  heat  had  become  so 
intense  that  it  was  decided  to  close  the  school  until 
the  cooler  weather  in  the  fall.  The  children  had 
made  good  progress,  and  as  Miss  Anderson  had 
taken  up  a  homestead  near  by,  her  services  for  the 
winter  months  were  assured.  So  it  was  planned 
that  when  the  school  was  closed  she  was  to  visit 
her  home  for  a  few  weeks,  returning  before  the 
harvest  season,  and  was  to  remain  at  the  Gully 
home  until  his  return  from  harvest,  after  which  she 
was  to  take  up  her  abode  upon  her  own  claim. 
This  arrangement  pleased  Gully,  as  it  assured  him 
that  his  family  would  not  be  alone  during  his  absence. 

The  few  remaining  weeks  before  his  departure 
Gully  devoted  to  the  improvement  of  his  house. 
Material  for  this  purpose  was  obtained  by  his 
having  purchased  a  building  erected  upon  a  claim 
a  short  ways  from  his  own  by  Jack  Norton,  a  young 
man,  who  having  become  discouraged,  had  proposed 
to  accompany  Gully  to  the  harvest  fields  and  to  use 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  building,  together 
with  his  earnings  while  harvesting,  to  purchase  a 
return  ticket  to  the  East,  thereby  abandoning  his 
claim. 

The  price  paid  by  Gully  for  the  material  in  the 
building  was  insignificant,  but  added  very  materially 
to  his  unpretentious  home  when  reconstructed  in 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  137 

connection  with  it,  and  assured  him  against  the 
recurrence  of  his  experience  of  the  winter  before. 

The  conditions  under  which  Travis  Gully  made 
his  second  trip  to  the  harvest  fields  were  entirely 
different.  Now  he  knew  where  he  was  going  and 
exactly  what  to  expect  upon  his  arrival.  The 
horses  he  drove  were  his  own,  and  he  reserved  the 
right  to  have  absolute  control  of  them  during  the 
entire  trip.  He  had  been  requested  by  his  former 
employer  to  bring  as  nearly  as  possible  the  same 
crew  as  had  come  on  the  former  occasion.  In  this 
he  was  successful,  with  the  exception  of  one  of  the 
party  who  had  become  discouraged  and  left  the 
country  soon  after  the  passing  of  the  severe  blizzard 
of  the  winter  before. 

The  iron  molder,  the  pressman,  and  the  professor 
were  there,  and  as  the  progress  each  had  made  on 
their  homestead  was  fair,  it  was  a  more  jovial  party 
that  had  left  on  this  occasion.  The  start  was  made 
from  the  Gully  home,  where  the  party  had  assembled 
the  evening  before,  and  instead  of  the  tear  stained 
cheeks  and  pitiful  sighs  that  had  marked  their  first 
departure  from  the  well,  there  had  been  a  happy 
gathering  of  all  the  neighbors  for  miles  around  who 
had  assembled  at  Travis  Gully's  home  to  bid  the 
harvesters  farewell.  This  gathering  was  not  only 
for  those  who  were  going  with  the  Gully  party, 
but  was  for  all  the  men  of  the  neighborhood  who 
were  going  forth  to  replenish  their  funds  ere  the 
winter  came. 

Each  had  brought  their  lunch  basket,  and  the 
scene  of  the  feast  at  the  Christmas  tree  was 


138  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

reenacted,  only  under  more  favorable  circumstances 
and  on  a  much  larger  scale.  The  festivities  con 
tinued  until  far  into  the  night.  Rollicking  games 
of  blindman's  buff  and  others  of  its  like  were  played 
out  in  the  open  under  the  brilliance  of  the  huge, 
desert  moon.  Young  and  old  alike  joined  in  the 
spirit  of  the  games,  and  merry  peals  of  laughter 
proclaimed  their  evident  enjoyment. 

When  the  time  came  for  the  merry  makers  to 
go  to  their  several  homes,  and  after  the  final  good 
byes  had  been  said,  those  of  the  party  who  were 
to  remain  overnight  and  start  the  following  morning 
chose  their  sleeping  places,  and  unrolling  their 
blankets,  lay  down  and  were  soon  lulled  to  sleep 
by  the  sound  of  the  distant  singing  and  talking  of 
the  departing  guests  which  was  wafted  back  by  the 
cool  night  air  for  miles  across  the  silent  desert. 
The  sounds  were  broken  at  intervals  by  the  sharp 
staccato  yap  of  the  startled  coyotes. 

The  following  morning  the  men  were  all  astir 
just  at  the  break  of  day.  The  horsese  were  fed  and 
harnessed  and  everything  made  ready  for  the  start. 
Ample  lunch  was  put  up  to  last  the  entire  party  until 
they  reached  their  destination,  and  when  breakfast 
had  been  eaten  the  start  was  made. 

The  sun  had  not  yet  appeared,  but  the  jagged 
ridge  of  hills  to  the  east  was  plainly  outlined,  and 
Gully,  now  being  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
lay  of  the  country  and  not  caring  to  lose  time  by 
making  a  long  detour  to  reach  the  main  road,  went 
directly  across  the  plain  to  the  gap  in  the  hills 
that  he  knew  would  afford  him  an  exit. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  139 

Minnie  Gully  and  the  children,  as  well  as  their 
guest,  Miss  Anderson,  who  had  now  returned  from 
her  visit  home,  were  out  to  see  them  off.  The  old 
dog  was  leaping  frantically  at  the  horses*  heads 
as  if  he  too  understood  the  importance  of  the 
occasion.  His  loud  barking  and  frisky  capers  caused 
little  Joe  to  shriek  with  laughter,  and  amidst  all 
this  din  and  shouting  of  goodbyes  they  rolled  away. 

Jack  Norton,  who  had  remained  at  the  Gully 
home  from  the  time  of  the  sale  of  the  building  on 
his  own  claim  until  its  removal  and  reconstruction 
as  a  part  of  the  Gully  residence,  was  seated  with 
Gully  on  the  driver's  seat  when  the  party  started 
on  their  journey. 

Knowing  the  road  as  the  party  now  did,  the 
trip  was  not  nearly  so  tiresome  as  on  the  former 
occasion.  Time  passed  much  more  rapidly,  and  a 
constant  flow  of  conversation  and  quips  and  jokes 
were  kept  up  by  those  of  the  party  except  young 
Norton  who,  though  usually  full  of  life  and  ordin 
arily  a  good  companion,  was  on  this  occasion  sullen 
and  morose.  Travis  Gully  was  quick  to  note  this 
change  in  Norton's  demeanor  and  watched  him 
closely  to  see  if  he  could  find  its  cause.  Thinking 
perhaps  it  was  due  to  his  disappointment  at  his 
failure  at  success  as  a  homesteader,  he  jibed  him 
goodnaturedly  upon  his  giving  up  so  easily. 

Jack  Norton  turned,  and  taking  one  more  long 
look  at  their  starting  point,  allowing  his  gaze  to 
wander  out  across  the  desert  and  after  a  few  minutes 
pause  answered  Gully's  remark  by  saying:  "It  might 
be  that  I  have  not  given  up."  Travis  Gully,  who 


140  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

rather  liked  the  young  fellow,  slapped  him  on  the 
back  and  exclaimed:  "That's  the  spirit.  You  might 
take  a  notion  to  come  back  with  us.  Well,  if  you 
do,  your  claim  will  still  be  safe.  You  know  you 
have  six  months  off."  Jack  Norton  did  not  reply 
to  this.  He  evidently  did  not  know  or  had  not 
thought  but  what  his  temporary  absence  from  his 
claim  would  forfeit  it.  He  sat  silent  for  a  few 
moments,  looked  back  in  the  direction  from  which 
they  had  come,  and  remarked,  "Looks  good  to  me," 
and  was  noticeably  more  cheerful  during  the  re 
mainder  of  the  day. 

The  early  morning  start  and  favorable  conditions 
enabled  them  to  cover  the  worst  of  their  journey 
the  first  day,  and  the  camp  for  the  night  was  made 
far  up  in  the  grand  coulee,  within  a  few  miles  of 
where  they  would  emerge  upon  the  plateau  where 
the  grain  fields  began. 

A  small  stream  trickled  down  from  the  face  of 
the  bluff  that  formed  the  east  wall  of  the  coulee. 
The  spring  from  which  it  flowed  was  inaccessable, 
so  it  was  necessary  to  catch  the  water  in  pails  as 
it  dripped  from  the  rock  ledge  far  above,  for  it 
disappeared  as  soon  as  it  reached  the  sandy  bottom 
of  the  coulee. 

Beautiful  grasses  grew  at  the  bottom  of  the 
cliff,  where  the  water  wasted  away,  and  rare  speci 
men  of  ferns  adorned  the  face  of  the  rock  over 
which  it  flowed,  far  above  the  reach  of  man.  The 
place  had  been  noted  by  those  of  the  party  who 
were  on  the  trip  the  fall  before,  and  the  professor 
had  expressed  a  desire  to  obtain  some  of  the 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  141 

for  specimens  during  their  stay  in  the  camp.  Knowing 
that  they  had  ample  time,  as  they  were  not  due  at 
their  destination  for  two  days,  and  that  they  could 
reach  it  the  following  afternoon,  they  decided  to 
remain  in  camp  the  forenoon  of  the  following  day 
and  rest  their  horses. 

It  was  just  before  sundown  when  they  went  into 
camp,  but  knowing  from  past  experience  that  the 
twilight  between  those  towering  walls  was  short, 
they  hurriedly  accummulated  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
sagebrush  for  fuel  during  the  night,  and  after 
placing  their  only  water  pail  beneath  the  drip  of 
the  trickling  stream,  awaited  its  filling  for  water 
with  which  to  make  coffee. 

After  this  was  procured  and  the  coffee  set  to 
boil,  Travis  Gluly  led  his  horses  to  the  patch  of 
grass  and  allowed  them  to  browse  while  the  water 
dripped  into  the  pail,  and  as  it  filled  he  gave  each 
horse  in  its  turn  a  drink.  The  evening  shadows 
were  slowly  creeping  upward  and  could  be  clearly 
outlined  upon  the  face  of  the  cliff  that  formed  the 
west  wall  of  the  coulee.  An  occasional  bird  fluttered 
into  one  of  the  crevices  that  marred  the  face  of 
the  cliff,  seeking  shelter  for  the  night.  The  only 
sound  that  disturbed  the  oppressive  silence  was  that 
produced  by  the  horses  cropping  the  succulent  grass 
and  the  drip,  drip  of  the  water  in  the  pail. 

The  conversation  at  the  camp  fire  had  ceased. 
Gully  noticing  this  glanced  toward  the  small  group 
of  men  assembled  there  in  search  of  the  cause; 
apparently  there  was  none.  The  lunch  box  had 
been  brought  from  the  wagon  and  stood  open  near 


142  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

the  camp  fire;  the  blanket  rolls  had  been  thrown 
into  a  pile  off  to  one  side,  and  reeling  against  this, 
with  his  back  toward  the  fire,  young  Jack  Norton 
sat  and  gazed  wistfully  down  the  coulee.  Gully 
noted  the  expression  on  the  young  man's  face  and 
wondered  at  its  seriousness.  He  had  never  ques 
tioned  Norton  as  to  his  affairs,  and  such  knowledge 
as  he  had  gained  of  the  young  man's  life  had  been 
volunteered  by  him. 

That  he  was  from  the  south,  Texas  he  thought, 
and  that  he  had  left  his  home  the  year  before, 
when  he  had  reached  his  twenty-first  birthday.  No 
reference  had  ever  been  made  by  him  as  to  his 
relatives  or  home.  He  had  come  into  the  neighbor 
hood  where  Gully  met  him  with  a  party  consisting 
of  several  different  families,  none  of  whom  had 
known  or  seen  him  until  he  happened  to  drive  out 
from  the  station  with  a  number  of  prospective  set 
tlers  under  the  guidance  of  a  real  estate  agent  who 
had  located  the  majority  of  them. 

His  pleasing  personality  had  won  him  much 
favor  at  the  literary  society,  where  he  took  an 
active  part.  Being  the  possessor  of  a  splendid  voice 
his  singing  was  highly  appreciated,  and  Travis  Gully 
recalled  the  fact  that  Miss  Anderson,  the  school 
teacher,  had  at  one  time  expressed  the  opinion  that 
his  education  was  far  above  the  average.  Yet 
knowing  as  little  as  he  did,  Gully's  heart  went  out 
to  the  lonely  young  fellow,  and  he  attributed  his 
failure  as  a  homesteader  to  the  lack  of  advice  and 
encouragement,  so  he  determined,  if  the  opportunity 
presented  itself,  and  it  probably  would  on  this  trip, 


> 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  143 

to  speak  to  him  and  to  try  and  persuade  him  to 
remain  on  his  claim  and  try  again  the  following  year. 

Darkness  had  now  fallen,  and  when  additional 
fuel  had  been  thrown  onto  the  dying  embers  of  the 
camp  fire  and  flared  up,  illuminating  the  surround 
ings,  Gully  called  to  Jack  Norton  to  come  and  lend 
a  helping  hand  with  the  horses  and  to  another 
member  of  the  party  to  get  the  pail  of  water  that 
had  accumulated,  after  which  he  returned  to  the 
wagon,  and  when  his  horses  had  been  fed  he  joined 
the  others  at  the  fire. 

No  time  was  lost.  After  supper  the  blankets 
were  spread  and  all  were  soon  sleeping  soundly. 
Nothing  disturbed  their  slumber.  The  prowling 
coyote,  scenting  the  remains  of  the  supper  on  the 
cool  night  air,  sent  up  its  mournful  wail  to  the  dim 
stars,  and  the  flutter  of  birds  wings,  as  the  owls 
routed  them  from  their  refuge  in  the  rocks,  were 
the  only  sounds  to  be  heard. 

The  campers  were  aroused  the  next  morning  by 
the  restless  pawing  of  the  horses  who,  realizing  that 
they  were  in  a  strange  locality,  were  anxious  for 
their  feed,  that  they  might  be  on  the  road.  Travis 
Gully  was  awakened  by  one  of  his  companions  calling 
to  him  and  saying  that  he  was  afraid  something 
had  gone  wrong  with  the  horses.  Springing  from 
beneath  his  blankets,  he  hurried  over  \o  where  they 
were  tied,  but  could  find  no  cause  for  their  nervous 
actions.  He  gave  them  their  morning  allowance  of 
hay  and  after  they  had  quieted  down  and  begun 
eating  he  returned  to  the  camp,  and  it  being  then 
broad  daylight,  he  raked  together  the  charred  ends 


144  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

of  the  partially  burned  sagebrush  and  started  the 
fire.  Calling  to  his  companions  to  "Roll  out,"  he 
took  the  pail  and  started  to  catch  *  some  water  at 
the  dripping  spring;  as  he  did  so,  he  noticed  that 
Jack  Norton  was  not  in  camp. 

His  neatly  rolled  blankets  were  laying  at  the  point 
where  he  had  chosen  to  make  his  bed.  Gully  knew 
that  he  had  slept  there,  for  he  had  spoken  to  him 
after  going  to  bed.  Thinking  that  he  had  probably 
gotten  up  early  and  had  strolled  a  little  way  from 
camp,  he  gave  the  matter  no  further  concern.  Upon 
his  return  from  getting  the  water  his  companions 
asked  him  if  he  had  seen  Jack;  replying  that  he  had 
not,  but  that  he  had  noticed  his  absence  and  that  he 
supposed  he  had  gone  for  a  walk,  they  passed  the 
matter  by  and  proceeded  with  the  preparation  of  the 
coffee  for  breakfast. 

No  hurried  preparations  for  their  departure  were 
made,  as  they  intended  to  remain  in  camp  until 
noon.  The  sun  was  several  hours  high  before  its 
rays  reached  the  depth  of  the  coulee,  the  walls  of 
which  cast  their  shadows  across  its  full  width.  It 
was  a  delightful  place  to  camp  and  while  away  a  few 
idle  hours.  There  were  no  trees  or  brush  under 
which  to  lie  and  enjoy  the  shade,  and  the  only  spot 
of  green  that  gladdened  the  eye  was  that  of  the 
grass  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff,  but  it  was  this  very 
novelty  that  made  the  location  so  fascinating.  Laying 
prone  upon  their  backs  they  could  gaze  into  the 
blue  sky  without  being  dazzled  by  the  brilliancy  of 
the  sun  or  having  a  thing  to  obstruct  their  view, 
like  viewing  the  heavens  from  the  depth  of  a  well 
without  that  same  cramped  or  crowded  feeling. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  145 

After  awaiting  Jack  Norton's  return  for  a  reason 
able  length  of  time  without  his  coming,  breakfast 
was  eaten,  and  the  coffee  pot  replaced  near  the  fire 
that  it  might  be  kept  warm.  Travis  Gully  took  the 
pail  ,and  leading  two  of  his  horses  to  the  grassy 
spot,  was  allowing  them  to  graze  while  the  bucket 
was  being  filled  when  someone  called  to  him:  "Bring 
the  horses  up  here,  Mr.  Gully;  there  is  lots  of 
water."  Recognizing  the  voice  as  that  of  young 
Norton,  Gully  tried  to  locate  him,  but  the  resounding 
echoes  along  the  coulee  walls  made  it  difficult  to 
catch  the  direction  from  which  the  call  came.  The 
professor,  who  had  strolled  over  near  the  cliff  and 
was  picking  up  and  examining  the  pieces  of  rock 
that  had  fallen  from  above,  had  also  heard  Jack 
Norton's  call,  and  knowing  that  it  came  from  the 
coulee  wall  above,  was  searching  the  face  of  the 
cliff  in  order  to  locate  him. 

Gully,  seeing  the  professor's  gaze  centered  on 
the  cliff,  knew  at  once  where  the  boy  was  and  called 
to  him  to  come  down,  lest  he  fall  and  get  hurt.  -  To 
this  Jack  replied  that  he  would  soon  be  down,  and 
as  he  moved  they  could  easily  distinguish  his  form, 
a  mere  speck  it  seemed  at  that  dizzy  height,  flattened 
out  with  his  back  to  the  wall  as  he  worked  his  way 
cautiously  along  the  slippery  ledge  over  which  the 
water  flowed.  His  hands  were  filled  with  ferns  and 
plants,  and  he  shouted  jesting  replies  to  the  anxious 
watchers  as  they  called  to  him  to  be  careful.  After 
a  few  moments  he  disappeared  behind  a  jutting 
point;  a  few  minutes  later  only  the  top  of  his  head 
could  be  seen  protruding  from  a  crevice;  after  a 


146  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

half  hour  he  came  into  camp,  diseheveled,  tired  and 
hungry,  but  all  excitement  over  his  adventure. 

He  ate  his  breakfast  while  Travis  Gully  and  the 
others  each  took  their  turn  at  telling  him  of  the 
dangers  that  lurked  in  those  cliffs  in  the  way  of 
loose  boulders,  hidden  crevices  and  rattlesnakes- 
Gully  expressed  himself  in  no  uncertain  terms  about 
his  leaving  camp  without  first  having  told  them  of 
his  intention,  and  pictured  to  him  the  possibilities 
of  a  fall  or  other  accident  that  might  have  befallen 
him  and  they,  not  knowing  where  he  was,  could 
render  no  assistance.  Jack  Norton  submitted  grace 
fully  to  this  scolding  and  explained  that  he  had 
heard  the  professor  express  a  desire  to  obtain  some 
of  the  specimens  of  ferns,  and  as  he  too  was  inter 
ested  in  the  geological  formations  of  the  coulee  he 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  explore  the  bluff. 

He  had  left  camp  before  daylight  and  gone  down 
the  coulee  in  search  of  a  place  where  he  might  scale 
the  wall;  after  he  had  reached  the  ledge  he  assured 
them  it  was  no  trouble  to  work  back  to  the  point 
where  he  was  discovered.  His  only  regret  was  that 
he  had  caused  them  any  uneasiness,  and  that  he 
did  not  have  more  time  for  his  investigations,  as 
the  locality  afforded  splendid  opportunities  for  geo 
logical  research. 

He  had  brought  back  with  him  some  beautiful 
specimen  of  rare  ferns  and  other  plan  life  for  the 
professor,  and  his  pockets  were  bulging  with  pieces 
of  various  kinds  of  stone  with  which,  he  told  them, 
he  proposed  to  amuse  himself  later. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  147 

The  professor  was  profuse  in  his  thanks  for  the 
ferns,  but  expressed  his  regret  that  he  had  taken 
such  a  chance  in  getting  them  for  him,  and  all  the 
while  his  face  beamed  with  his  appreciation  of 
the  motive,  the  desire  of  the  student,  that  had 
prompted  young  Norton  to  explore  the  coulee.  He 
too  could  devote  many  happy  days  with  these  environ 
ments  to  the  gratification  of  this  same  desire. 

The  party  resumed  their  journey  immediately 
after  the  noon  lunch  was  eaten  and  camped  that 
night  at  the  home  of  the  wheat  grower  for  whom 
they  were  going  to  work  during  the  harvest  season. 
When  they  entered  the  harvest  field  two  days  later, 
to  commence  the  season's  run,  it  was  the  same  old 
scenes  and  endless  days  of  toil  and  strain  with 
which  they  had  contended  on  their  former  trip,  and 
nothing  occurred  to  break  the  monotony. 

The  professor  and  Jack  Norton  became  insepar 
able  companions,  and  planned  many  excursions 
together  at  some  future  time,  when  they  proposed 
to  explore  the  coulee.  The  idea  of  abandoning  his 
claim  and  returning  to  the  East  was  given  up  by 
Norton,  and  he  talked  incessantly  of  the  wonders  of 
the  coulee  and  the  desert.  Travis  Gully  smiled  at 
the  young  fellow's  enthusiasm  and  encouraged  him 
to  renewed  effort  with  promises  of  assistance  to 
construct  another  building  on  his  claim  and  with 
such  other  help  as  he  might  require. 

The  party  of  homesteaders  were  not  worried  by 
the  thoughts  of  the  conditions  at  home  as  they  had 
been  during  their  first  absence.  They  wrote  and 
received  letters  regularly,  and  in  every  instance  the 
reports  received  from  their  homes  were  most  encour- 


148  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

aging.  Minnie  Gully's  letters  to  her  husband  were 
filled  with  recitals  of  incidents  that  showed  very 
plainly  that  she  was  very  much  alive  to  his  interests 
and  had  assumed  the  management  of  affairs  on  the 
homestead  during  his  absence  with  a  thoroughness 
of  detail  that  was  surprising.  "I  have  bargained," 
she  wrote,  "with  a  new  neighbor  for  two  pigs  and 
a  half  dozen  more  chickens,"  this  neighbor  having 
brought  chickens  and  pigs  into  the  newly  settled 
district  without  first  having  investigated  the  source 
of  the  supply  of  feed  for  them,  and  was  now  com 
pelled  by  its  scarcity  to  sell  some  of  his  stock. 
Gully's  wife,  seeing  the  opportunity,  had  traded  some 
wheat  for  the  chickens  and  pigs,  and  as  she  wrote 
in  her  letter,  had  "made  the  place  look  more  like  a 
farm."  Miss  Anderson,  she  continued,  "had  proven 
herself  a  jewel.  She  did  not  see  how  she  could  get 
along  without  her.  She  had  taken  complete  charge 
of  the  children  and  was  teaching  the  girls  to  sew 
and  cook,  while  she  was  leading  a  life  of  ease." 
Travis  Gully  read  her  letters  with  an  amused  smile 
and  wondered  at  the  change  in  her  that  had  taken 
place.  The  constant  flow  of  home  talk  kept  him 
from  getting  homesick.  And  so  the  harvest  season 
was  passed,  and  when  the  morning  came  for  the 
harvesters  to  return  to  their  homes  each  had  planned 
his  work  for  the  coming  winter  and  was  eager  to 
begin. 

Travis  Gully  was  to  see  the  realization  of  his 
dreame  of  a  well  on  his  claim  and  was  anxious  to 
reach  home  that  he  might  complete  arrangements 
with  the  well  drillers  and  have  them  begin  work 
before  the  snow  fell. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  149 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

When  the  party  reached  the  Gully  home  upon 
their  return  they  found  the  members  of  their  families 
had  assembled  there  to  await  their  arrival.  Minnie 
Gully  and  Miss  Anderson  had  prepared  a  good  sup 
per,  which  was  waiting,  and  which  was  heartily 
enjoyed  by  the  returned  harvesters.  They  did  not 
linger  long  at  Gully's,  however,  as  the  men  were 
worn  out  by  their  long  siege  and  were  anxious  to 
reach  their  own  homes. 

The  second  morning  after  their  return  Gully 
drove  to  the  village  in  search  of  a  man  to  drill  his 
well.  In  this  he  was  successful,  and  completed  the 
deal  before  his  return.  The  selection  of  a  site  for 
the  well  and  the  assembling  of  the  machinery 
occupied  his  time  for  several  days  following.  As 
the  well  drilling  crew  consisted  of  three  men  besides 
Jack  Norton,  who  had  arranged  to  stay  with  Gully 
until  the  well  was  completed,  it  would  entail 
considerable  additional  work  for  Mrs.  Gully,  so 
Miss  Anderson  agreed  to  remain  and  assist  her 
during  their  stay.  In  return  for  this  service  Gully 
was  to  haul  the  lumber  and  erect  a  small  house  on 
her  claim. 

With  these  arrangements  all  complete  and  the 
arrival  of  the  driller  the  work  progressed  nicely, 
and  in  less  than  a  month  from  the  time  of  his  return 


150  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

from  the  harvest  field,"  Gully's  well  was  completed. 
The  flow  that  was  struck  by  the  drillers  differed  but 
little  from  that  reached  in  the  dozens  of  other  wells 
that  had  been  sunk  at  various  points  throughout 
the  area;  the  only  variation  was  in  depth,  and  this 
was  due  to  the  difference  in  elevation.  The  flow 
was  abundant,  as  was  proven  by  a  test  that  failed 
to  lower  it,  and  the  water  was  the  purest. 

The  sinking  of  the  well  had  almost  exhausted 
Gully's  supply  of  funds,  and  fearing  the  recurrence 
of  another  severe  winter,  he  was  on  the  alert  for 
employment.  While  hauling  the  lumber  for  the  erec 
tion  of  the  houses  on  the  claims  of  Miss  Anderson 
and  young  Norton  he  had  learned  of  the  intention 
of  a  large  company  who  held  extensive  land  interests 
in  the  desert  to  clear  and  prepare  for  seeding  several 
hundred  acres  during  the  winter.  Securing  the 
address  of  the  company,  he  wrote  to  them,  proposing 
to  take  the  work  under  contract. 

The  small  shack  was  soon  erected  on  Miss  Ander 
son's  claim  near  the  school  house  and  school  was 
opened  for  the  winter.  With  her  comfortably 
settled  her  earnings  as  teacher  were  ample  for  her 
requirements,  and  a  sufficient  amount  was  left  to 
hire  the  necessary  improvements  made.  This  work 
was  given  to  Gully,  who  cleared  several  acres,  fenced 
it,  and  put  her  down  a  cistern  similar  to  the  one 
he  had  constructed  on  his  own  place.  In  the  per 
formance  of  this  work  he  was  assisted  by  Jack 
Norton,  who  had  now  settled  down  on,  his  own  claim, 
a  determined  and  confident  homesteader. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  151 

The  attendance  at  the  little  school  had  more  than 
doubled  since  the  winter  before  by  the  arrival  of 
additional  families  with  children.  It  had  become 
necessary  to  erect  another  school  house  some  miles 
distant  to  accommodate  the  increased  population. 
This  new  school  district  was  in  charge  of  our  old 
friend  the  professor,  and  the  meetings  of  the  Sunday 
School  and  literary  society  were  so  arranged  as  to 
alternate  between  the  two  districts,  and  debates  and 
old  fashioned  spelling  bees  were  conducted  with  the 
separate  districts  as  contestants. 

Thus  was  the  social  life  of  the  community  kept 
alive  and  much  simple  pleasure  added  to  the  lives 
of  the  homesteaders.  The  arrival  of  a  few  young 
people  in  the  neighborhood  added  to  the  dignity  of 
the  social  functions,  and  as  distance  was  a  matter  of 
secondary  consideration  with  these  hardy  pioneers, 
it  was  no  uncommon  thing  during  the  winter  months 
to  see  a  wagon  being  driven  from  the  home  of  one 
settler  to  that  of  another,  picking  up  a  load  of  jolly 
people,  both  young  and  old,  that  were  for  some  point, 
it  might  be  ten  miles  distant,  where  a  surprise  party 
or  some  such  gathering  was  to  be  held.  They  were 
always  accompanied  by  an  abundance  of  lunch. 

Ida  Gully,  who  was  not  attending  school,  as  she 
had  grown  to  be  quite  a  young  lady,  was  a  great 
favorite,  and  was  always  eager  to  attend  these 
gatherings  and  was  usually  accompanied  by  Jack 
Norton  on  these  occasions. 

The  winter  season  was  now  well  advanced  and 
there  had  been  no  snow;  the  nights  were  growing 
colder  but  the  days  were  yet  clear  and  warm.  Travis 


152  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

Gully  had  given  up  hopes  of  hearing  from  the  com 
pany  to  whom  he  had  writetn  in  regard  to  clearing 
their  land  and  was  working  on  his  own  place.  He 
did  not  have  sufficient  funds  to  erect  a  pump  and 
windmill  over  his  well,  but  had  substituted  an  old 
hand  pump  in  hopes  that  he  could  make  it  answer 
his  purpose  for  securing  water  for  domestic  use 
until  the  irrigating  season  came.  He  had  installed 
this  makeshift  of  a  pump  and  was  trying  to  devise 
some  scheme  whereby  he  could  make  its  operation 
less  laborious  by  attaching  a  longer  lever,  when 
upon  looking  up  from  his  work  he  saw  a  party  of 
men  approaching  in  a  vehicle  that  was  being  driven 
along  the  road  that  led  to  his  place. 

The  advent  of  a  stranger  being  no  longer  a 
matter  of  interest  he  proceeded  with  his  work  after 
looking  to  see  if  he  could  by  chance  recognize  the 
team.  A  few  minutes  later  the  barking  of  his  dog 
announced  the  approach  of  the  vehicle,  and  he  saw 
that  they  had  driven  within  his  inclosure  and  were 
coming  toward  the  house.  Leaving  his  work  at  the 
well,  he  went  to  the  house,  where  he  awaited  their 
coming. 

Gully  did  not  recognize  any  of  the  occupants  of 
the  vehicle,  of  whom  there  were  four.  He  supposed 
that  they  were  some  persons  who  were  looking  over 
the  country,  probably  with  the  view  to  investing, 
as  they  did  not  look  like  the  type  of  settlers  he  was 
accustomed  to  seeing.  Three  of  the  men  had  the 
appearance  of  business  or  professional  men.  One 
of  them  was  well  advanced  in  years,  but  the  remain 
ing  three  were  very  much  younger.  One  of  these 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  153 

he  recognized,  as  they  drew  nearer,  as  a  man  whom 
he  had  seen  on  frequent  occasions  when  he  had 
visited  the  village,  and  supposed  that  he  was  only 
the  driver. 

The  party  had  by  now  driven  up  to  the  yard  and 
Gully  stepped  out  to  meet  them.  Upon  being  asked 
if  he  were  Mr.  Gully,  and  after  answering  in  the 
affirmative,  the  elderly  man  took  from  his  pocket 
a  card  which  he  handed  to  Travis  Gully,  who, 
glancing  at  it,  recognized  the  name  of  the  company 
to  whom  he  had  written.  He  invited  the  visitors  to 
"get  out  and  come  in."  This  they  said  was  not 
necessary,  as  they  had  only  a  limited  time  in  which 
to  state  the  purpose  of  their  visit,  which  they  did 
by  explaining  to  him  that  they  had  gotten  his  letter 
and  had  come  with  the  view  to  looking  the  proposi 
tion  of  clearing  the  land  over,  and  if  they  found  him 
ready  to  undertake  the  work  and  his  terms  satis 
factory  they  were  prepared  to  enter  into  an  agree 
ment  with  him.  First,  however,  they  wished  to  visit 
the  land  in  question,  which  they  proposed  to  do  before 
returning  to  the  village. 

Taking  from  a  wallet  a  blue  print  of  the  locality, 
they  traced  the  lines  and  looked  over  the  section 
numbers  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  asked  Gully 
as  to  the  roads  leading  to  their  lands.  He  gave 
them  directions  and  stated  that  roads  across  the 
plains  were  not  necessary,  as  a  person  could  not 
get  far  out  of  the  way. 

They  explained  further  to  Gully  that  they  had 
brought  with  them  from  the  East  tents  and  surveying 
instruments  which  had  been  left  behind  in  the  village 


154  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

and  asked  that  in  case  of  an  agreement  being 
reached  with  them,  if  he  was  in  a  position  to 
accommodate  them  with  meals  during  the  few  days 
that  would  be  required  to  survey  the  land  they 
wished  to  put  into  cultivation.  Gully  explained  that 
his  means  of  accommodation  were  crude  and  limited, 
but  they  were  entirely  welcome  to  such  as  his  home 
afforded. 

After  arranging  with  him  to  come  to  the  village 
with  his  wagon  the  following  day,  when  they  would 
talk  the  matter  over,  and  if  satisfactory  would  have 
him  return  with  them  and  their  equipment,  they 
drove  away  in  the  direction  of  their  land. 

Travis  Gully  stood  and  watched  them  for  a  few 
moments,  his  mind  filled  with  the  problem  of  the 
terms  of  the  contract  that  he  knew  he  would  be 
called  on  to  submit  the  following  day.  His  wife 
having  noticed  the  presence  of  strangers  and  seeing 
the  thoughtful  attitude  of  her  husband  after  their 
departure  came  to  him,  and  after  learning  the 
nature  of  their  business,  was  greatly  relieved  and 
much  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  his  securing  the 
big  contract.  They  both  realized,  however,  that  the 
success  of  the  venture  would  depend  very  largely 
upon  the  continuance  of  the  favorable  weather,  and 
spoke  of  the  probability  of  it  remaining  fair. 

Returning  to  the  well  where  he  took  up  his  inter 
rupted  work,  Gully  discussed  the  proposition  of  the 
contract  with  his  wife.  Never  having  undertaken 
anything  of  the  kind,  he  was  at  a  loss  how  to  begin. 
He  knew  what  it  was  worth  per  acre  to  clear  and 
plow  the  land  and  approximately  how  long  it  would 
take,  everything  being  favorable,  but  he  could  not 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  155 

get  it  in  tangible  form.  Finally  his  wife  suggested 
that  he  call  on  young  Norton,  who  could  probably 
assist  him  as  to  arranging  the  details.  This  was  a 
happy  thought!  Gully  had  intended  to  give  Jack 
employment  if  he  got  the  work,  so  why  not  let  him 
be  a  party  to  the  deal,  and  let  him  handle  the  business 
part  of  the  transaction?  He  would  see  Norton  and 
talk  the  matter  over  with  him,  he  told  her. 

It  was  now  getting  well  on  toward  evening  and 
Ida  had  gone  to  Miss  Anderson's  to  await  the  dis 
missal  of  school,  as  she  frequently  did,  and  would 
return  with  the  children  when  they  came  home; 
and  as  Jack  Norton  usually  walked  home  with  them, 
Gully  awaited  their  return  in  hopes  he  would  do  so 
on  this  occasion.  In  this  he  was  not  disappointed, 
for  a  short  time  afterwards  the  children  were  seen 
returning  from  school,  and  Norton  was  accompanying 
them  home. 

Upon  Jack  Norton's  arrival  Gully  told  him  of 
what  had  occurred,  of  the  coming  of  the  strangers 
and  the  arrangements  he  had  made  for  the  morrow, 
and  told  him  if  foe  would  remain  until  after  supper 
he  would  like  to  talk  the  matter  over  with  him. 
Jack  listened  attentively  to  what  Gully  told  him, 
but  could  not  understand  why  he  should  be  con 
sulted  in  the  matter.  Thanking  Gully  for  the  invi 
tation  he  told  him  he  would  be  glad  to  assist  him 
in  any  way  he  could. 

Continuing  his  work  at  the  well,  Gully  did  not 
again  refer  to  the  matter,  and  Norton  went  to  the 
house,  where  he  amused  little  Joe  and  the  other 
children  by  romping  with  them  until  they  were 


156  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

called  to  their  supper.  After  the  supper  was  over 
and  Gully  and  Norton  had  strolled  to  the  barn, 
Gully  told  him  of  his  desire  to  have  him  take  an 
active  interest  in  the  proposed  deal,  and  explained 
why.  He  told  him  plainly  that  he  needed  the  assis 
tance  of  someone  who  was  better  equipped  in  the 
way  of  an  education  than  he  himself  was,  that  they 
might  look  after  the  business  features,  and  he  made 
young  Norton  an  offer  of  a  partnership  under  the 
conditions  of  which  Jack  would  greatly  profit  should 
they  get  the  work. 

Jack  Norton  listened  to  the  plans  and  proposal 
that  Gully  had  to  make.  After  Gully  had  finished 
he  turned  to  Gully  and  asked:  "Do  you  mean  that 
you  want  me  to  take  hold  of  this  affair  and  look 
after  your  interest,  and  is  it  for  this  purpose  that 
you  are  making  me  this  liberal  offer?  If  such  is 
the  case,  Mr.  Gully,  I  will  tell  you  now  that  although 
I  were  only  working  for  you  by  the  day,  as  a  laborer, 
I  would  still  have  your  interests  at  heart  as  much 
as  if  I  were  your  business  partner." 

Gully  being  taken  by  surprise  at  the  young  man's 
earnestness,  replied  that  such  was  his  intention. 
"If  you  care  to  take  an  interest  in  the  transaction, 
I  need  you  to  look  after  the  accounts,  the  handling 
of  the  funds  for  the  purchase  of  supplies  that  will 
be  necessary,  and  securing  the  help  that  will  be 
required,  for  you  are  worth  more  to  me  as  a  business 
partner  than  on  a  daily  wage,"  he  told  him. 

Norton  smiled,  and  extending  his  hand  to  Gully, 
said:  "That  being  the  case,  I  will  help  you,"  and 
added:  "May  I  go  into  town  with  you  tomorrow?" 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  157 

"Certainly,"  replied  Gully,  "I  want  you  to  draw 
up  the  contract,  and  be  present  at  the  signing." 

"Then  you  have  drawn  no  agreement  yet,"  asked 
Norton. 

"No,"  replied  Gully. 

"Well,  we  will  go  to  the  house  and  see  what 
can  be  done.  We  will  at  least  have  something 
ready  in  the  way  of  a  proposition  to  offer;  and 
say,  Mr.  Gully,  have  you  given  them  an  idea  of 
the  charge  per  acre  you  are  to  made  for  this  work." 

"No,  I  had  not  fully  determined  what  it  would 
be  worth,  and  depended  on  your  assistance  in 
making  an  estimate,"  replied  Gully. 

"Well,  we  will  figure  that  out  too  when  we  get 
at  it,"  and  so  saying,  they  returned  to  the  house, 
and  clearing  off  the  table,  sat  down  with  pencil 
and  paper  to  draw  up  the  form  of  their  first  contract. 

To  the  unitiated  the  process  of  removing  sage 
brush  from  and  plowing  land  would  be  simple 
enough,  and  under  ordinary  circumstances  and  over 
a  small  area  it  would  be,  but  in  this  instance  it 
was  different.  The  land  was  not  a  great  ways  off,  a 
few  miles  at  best,  from  Gully's  home,  but  too  far 
to  go  and  come  each  day,  as  the  working  hours 
during  the  winter  were  extremely  short,  and  too 
much  time  would  be  lost  on  the  road,  and  besides, 
the  amount  of  the  land  to  be  prepared  was  unusually 
large  for  one  undertaking,  as  an  entire  section, 
some  six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  were  to  be  gotten 
ready  for  seeding  at  the  very  earliest  possible  time. 

Gully  and  Norton  had  taken  all  this  into  con 
sideration,  and  the  extra  preparation  that  was  re- 

6* 


158  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

quired  for  the  work  was  an  additional  expense  that 
must  be  considered.  They  knew  that  should  they 
get  the  contract  they  must  establish  a  camp  on  the 
land  in  question  from  which  to  carry  on  their 
operations.  There  must  be  shelter  erected  for  both 
those  engaged  in  the  work  and  the  stock  that  would 
be  required  for  plowing,  for  they  knew  that  the  snow 
might  come  at  any  time.  Gully  did  not  expect 
another  blizzard  as  severe  as  the  one  encountered 
the  winter  before,  as  he  had  learned  that  they  were 
not  of  yearly  occurrance,  but  he  had  told  Jack  of 
the  terrible  one  they  had  experienced  on  that  occas- 
sion,  that  in  case  one  did  come  they  would  not  be 
unprepared. 

Long  into  the  night  they  worked,  figuring  out 
each  little  detail  and  drawing  a  diagram  of  the 
land.  They  allotted  certain  parcels  of  it  to  separate 
individuals  on  whom  they  expected  to  call  for  assis 
tance.  They  knew  that  any  of  their  neighbors  on 
whom  they  called  would  be  only  too  glad  of  the 
opportunity  to  earn  the  money  by  clearing  their 
allotted  portion.  To  those  of  their  acquaintances 
who  had  no  horses  was  assigned  the  task  of  gather 
ing  and  piling  the  brush  for  burning  . 

The  arrangements  as  planned  by  Norton  brought 
Gully  to  the  front  as  a  public  benefactor,  and  the 
clearing  of  the  land  a  community  affair.  He  so 
arranged  each  little  detail  as  to  make  Travis  Gully 
appear  as  the  moving  spirit  in  this  distribution  of 
the  opportunity  for  earning  a  few  dollars  among  his 
neighbors,  and  so  well  did  he  contrive  to  eliminate 
himself  from  all  but  the  responsibility  that  his  own 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  159 

connection  with  the  work  was  almost  entirely  lost 
sight  of. 

Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida  sat  quietly  by  and  listened 
to  the  discussion  of  their  plans  long  after  the  chil 
dren  had  retired.  At  times  Norton's  enthusiasm 
and  interest  in  the  work  he  was  doing  would  become 
so  great  he  would  forget  his  surroundings,  and 
with  shirt  sleeves  rolled  back  and  neck  band  unbut 
toned,  he  would  sit  drumming  upon  the  table  with 
pencil  poised,  ready  to  record  the  result  of  some 
mental  calculation,  muttering  to  himself.  Uncon 
sciously  he  would  use  expressions  that  were  foreign 
to  the  Gullys,  who  would  watch  him  closely. 

Travis  Gully  and  his  wife  would  wait  patiently 
until  Norton  announced  his  solution  of  the  problem, 
but  with  Ida  the  effect  was  different.  She  would 
watch  his  every  movement,  and  as  his  thoughts 
became  more  concentrated  the  strain  on  her  would 
become  more  tense  and  she  would  partially  arise 
from  her  chair,  with  hands  clenched  until  the  nails 
left  their  imprint  in  her  palms,  and  it  would  seem 
that  she  must  call  to  him,  and  upon  his  first  move 
ment  to  record  some  figures  or  to  announce  some 
clause  that  he  wished  to  insert  in  the  contract,  she 
would  sink  back  in  her  chair,  and  glancing  around 
nervously,  resume  her  bit  of  fancy  work,  that  she 
was  learning  under  Miss  Anderson's  instructions. 

Travis  Gully  was  too  much  absorbed  to  note  his 
daughter's  actions,  but  it  did  not  escape  the  quick 
eyes  of  the  mother,  who  suggested  to  her  that  per 
haps  they  had  better  retire  and  leave  her  father  and 
Jack  to  finish  their  work  alone.  Minnie  Gully  had 


160  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

never  thought  of  Ida  as  anything  but  a  child,  and 
she  had  not  taken  into  account  the  change  this  life 
in  the  open  had  wrought  upon  her  oldest  daughter. 
She  watched  her  as  she  carefully  folded  her  bit  of 
embroidery  in  obedience  to  her  mother's  suggestion 
that  they  retire,  and  as  she  watched  the  knowledge 
was  forced  upon  her  that  she  was  the  mother  of  a 
fully  developed,  robust  young  woman,  and  the  thought 
of  the  additional  responsibility  this  knowledge 
brought  with  it  was  made  more  gratifying  by  others 
of  comradeship.  She  now  had  a  companion  for  the 
molding  of  whose  character  she  alone  was  responsible. 

With  a  parting  warning  to  the  men,  to  "remember 
you  are  to  start  to  town  early  in  the  morning  and 
not  to  stay  up  too  late,"  she  and  Ida  went  to  their 
room.  Gully  and  Norton  needed  no  such  warning. 
The  fact  of  their  going  to  town  was  a  prime  factor 
in  the  necessity  for  their  working  as  they  were, 
and  as  for  staying  up  late,  their  work  had  to  be 
completed  before  they  could  retire. 

As  the  work  progressed,  after  the  ladies  had 
left  them,  Travis  Gully  was  surprised  at  the  knowl 
edge  of  such  work  as  Norton  evidenced,  and  he 
realized  that  he  had  done  wisely  in  taking  him  into 
his  confidence  and  gaining  his  assistance.  He  listened 
without  interruption  to  Jack  Norton's  plans  as  he 
outlined  them,  and  to  the  results  of  his  calculations 
as  to  the  expense  incurred  and  profits  derived  from 
the  transaction  as  they  were  read  with  such  an 
apparent  familiarity  with  figures  that  he  did  not 
question  their  correctness. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  161 

There  was  one  question  uppermost  in  Gully's 
mind  that  would  persist  in  its  recurrance,  and  that 
was:  "Who  was  this  Jack  Norton,  this  waif  of  the 
sandy  desert,  who  with  the  last  few  hours,  with 
apparently  no  other  incentive  than  a  desire  to  help 
one  who  had  befriended  him,  had  developed  into  a 
thorough  business  man,  with  unlimited  capacity  for 
facts  and  figures?" 

While  Travis  Gully  was  asking  himself  these 
questions  his  wife,  in  the  adjoining  room,  was  busily 
racking  her  mind  with  the  one  thought:  "Was  Ida 
interested  in  Jack,  and  if  so,  to  what  extent,  and 
had  he  noticed  it?"  She  would  know  at  the  first 
opportunity.  She  would  ask  her,  but  she  must  be 
careful,  and  she  smiled;  Ida  was  such  a  child. 

Jack  Norton,  oblivious  to  the  thoughts  that  were 
filling  the  minds  of  his  friends,  worked  on  at  the 
formulation  of  his  plans.  It  had  been  months,  it 
seemed  like  years  to  him,  since  he  had  be'en  given 
an  opportunity  to  work  at  something  worth  while. 
It  was  true  that  the  amount  in  dollars  and  cents 
involved  in  this  entire  transaction  would  be  at  best 
but  a  few  hundred,  but  it  was  business,  and  re 
called  to  his  mind  other  days  when  he  had  worked 
out  larger  plans;  yes,  very  much  larger,  where 
thousands  of  dollars  were  involved. 

He  laughed  whimsically  to  himself  after  he  had 
handed  the  final  product  of  his  hours  of  work  to 
Travis  Gully  to  read.  It  was  a  recapitulation  of 
the  whole  transaction,  condensed  and  simplified  in 
a  manner  that  he  was  sure  would  bring  it  within 
his  understanding,  and  as  Gully  read,  his  brow  con- 


162  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

tracted  with  many  wrinkles  as  his  brain  groped  for 
an  interpretation  of  the  mass  of  figures,  Jack 
Norton  compared  these  existing  conditions  with  other 
scenes  in  his  past,  when  he  had  entered  noiselessly 
through  swinging  glass  doors  and  over  dustless 
carpets  into  the  presence  of  the  older  Norton,  his 
"Governor,"  and  submitted  for  his  inspection  a  sheet 
of  about  the  same  dimensions  containing,  not  a 
written  agreement  whereby  one  or.  more  men  do 
"agree  to  remove  the  sagebrush  from,  plow  and 
make  ready  for  planting  certain  lands  beginning  at, 
etc,"  but  a  neatly  prepared  statement  of  his  college 
expenses,  supplemented  with  a  request  for  an  addi 
tional  allowance  for  golf,  yachting,  etc. 

When  Travis  Gully  had  finished  reading  the  paper 
Norton  had  given  him  he  handed  it  back,  asked  one 
or  two  questions  about  things  he  did  not  fully 
understand,  and  upon  their  being  explained,  said: 
"It's  all  right  as  far  as  I  can  see."  Norton  took 
the  paper,  folded  it  neatly,  and  placed  it  on  the 
table,  and  after  assembling  the  scattered  sheets  upon 
which  he  had  been  figuring,  he  placed  them  in  a 
neat  pile,  using  an  empty  coffee  cup  for  a  paper 
weight,  he  handed  Gully  the  folded  sheet,  together 
with  the  pencil  with  which  he  had  been  working,  and 
after  asking  what  time  he  proposed  to  start  for  town 
in  the  morning,  remarked  that  "He  guessed  he  would 
go  home." 

To  this  Gully  objected,  telling  him  there  was  no 
need  of  his  going;  that  he  could  sleep  there  and 
they  would  get  an  early  start.  This  was  agreed 
upon,  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  Gully  home  was 
in  darkness. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  163 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Gully  and  Norton  reached  the  village  the  follow 
ing  day  about  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  and  driving 
directly  to  the  one  hotel  of  which  the  town  boasted, 
found  the  strangers  awaiting  their  arrival.  The 
old  gentleman  was  walking  impatiently  to  and  fro 
on  the  narrow  board  walk  that  did  duty  as  a  porch, 
and  the  two  younger  men  were  idly  glancing  through 
some  well  worn  back  number  magazines  with  which 
the  writing  table  in  the  one  waiting  room  of  the 
hotel  was  strewn. 

After  tieing  his  team  Gully  approached  the  old 
gentleman  who,  having  recognized  him,  had  stopped 
his  restless  pacing  and  was  nervously  toying  with 
his  watch  fob.  Accompanied  by  Jack  Norton,  whom 
he  introduced,  he  mentioned  that  "He  regretted  being 
so  late,  but  the  distance  was  great."  This  apology 
was  offered  more  for  the  purpose  of  conversation 
than  because  he  felt  that  it  was  -due.  The  old 
gentleman  acknowledged  the  introduction  of  Norton 
and  remarked  that  their  lateness  had  caused  him 
no  inconvenience,  but  added  that  he  would  like  to 
get  it  finished  as  soon  as  possible. 

He  invited  them  to  enter  the  hotel,  where  his 
companions  were  waiting.  These,  upon  recognizing 
Gully,  bowed  slightly,  but  remained  seated  when 
Norton  was  presented.  The  latter  having  noted 
their  lack  ef  interest  in  Gully  merely  bowed  in 


164  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

acknowledgment,  and  remained  standing.  Upon  a 
suggestion  from  the  old  gentleman  that  they  repair 
to  the  room  which  he  was  occupying  to  discuss  their 
business,  his  two  assistants  arose,  stretched  them 
selves,  and  lowering  their  trouser  legs,  which  they 
had  thoughtfully  drawn  up  to  prevent  their  bagging 
at  the  knees,  they  strolled  leisurely  toward  the  stairs 
to  ascend. 

Jack  Norton,  who  had  noticed  the  actions  of  the 
younger  men,  one  of  whom  could  not  have  been  much 
older  than  he,  smiled  indulgently  as  he  thought  how 
they,  in  their  ignorance,  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to 
extend  to  them  common  courtesy,  and  mentally  re 
solved  to  open  their  eyes  on  the  first  occasion  that 
presented  itself  before  their  departure.  Dropping 
back  to  allow  the  older  man  and  Gully  to  precede  him 
on  the  stairs,  he  had  just  started  up  when  the 
youngest  of  the  strangers  turned  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs  and  asked  if  it  was  necessary  for  "that  fellow 
Norton  to  be  present."  Jack  Norton  stopped  and 
awaited  Travis  Gully's  answer.  This  was  not  long 
in  coming.  "It  certainly  is,"  he  said,  "Mr.  Norton 
is  my  associate  in  this  deal,  and  he  is  the  one  who 
will  do  the  talking."  This  statement  from  Gully  did 
not  seem  to  create  the  impression  on  the  young  man 
that  Gully  had  hoped,  and  as  he  turned  and  con 
tinued  his  leadership  toward  the  room,  Gully  waited 
and  taking  Norton  by  the  arm  said  "Come  on,  Jack." 
Norton  only  smiled  and  accompanied  them  to  the 
room. 

Once  inside  the  room,  with  the  elderly  man 
seated  by  a  small  table  and  Gully  occupying  the  one 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  165 

remaining  chair,  the  young  strangers  reclining  lazily 
upon  the  bed,  Jack  was  left  to  take  care  of  himself, 
which  he  did  by  remaining  standing  with  his  hat 
in  his  hand.  He  realized  that  he  was  at  a  dis 
advantage.  His  name  had  not  been  mentioned  in 
the  original  letter  to  the  company,  nor  was  he  re 
ferred  to  during  the  visit  of  the  strangers  on  the 
day  before. 

The  fact  of  his  unexpected  stay  overnight  at 
Gully's  had  deprived  him  of  the  opportunity  to 
change  his  clothes,  and  he  had  worn  his  overalls  and 
flannel  shirt  to  this  conference;  but  this  fact  did 
not  annoy  him  in  the  least,  for  he  felt  that  he  had 
judged  the  calibre  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  party  correctly,  and  he  rather  enjoyed  the 
novelty  of  being  underestimated  by  them  on  account 
of  his  wearing  apparel.  He  was  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  type  of  business  man  that  he  knew  the  old 
gentleman  to  be  and  felt  no  resentment  toward  him 
for  his  brusque  manner.  He  had  a  bargain  to  drive, 
either  for  himself  or  the  persons  whom  he  repre 
sented,  and  the  accomplishment  of  this  was  his 
object,  even  thought  it  took  precedence  over  the 
demands  of  common  politeness. 

There  was  no  loss  of  time  in  coming  to  the 
discussion  of  the  subject  of  the  meeting,  and  with 
out  any  preliminary  remarks  Gully  was  asked  if  he 
had  prepared  any  bid  on  the  work  that  he  wished 
to  submit,  and  in  case  his  offer  was  accepted,  what 
would  be  the  nature  of  the  agreement  he  would  be 
willing  to  sign. 


166  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

V 

As  this  volley  of  questions  were  fired  at  him 
unexpectedly,  Gully  did  not  immediately  reply,  but 
reaching  in  his  pocket,  he  drew  out  the  paper  Norton 
had  prepared,  and  after  unfolding  it  answered  that 
"He  had  brought  with  him  this  paper,  that  would 
give  them  an  idea  of  what  would  be  required  and 
the  probable  cost  of  the  work." 

Jack  Norton,  realizing  that  there  was  data  em 
bodied  in  the  memorandum  that  he  did  not  care  to 
have  come  into  the  possession  of  the  strangers  just 
yet,  stepped  forward,  intercepting  the  paper  as  it 
was  being  passed  across  the  table  to  the  old  gentle 
man,  took  it,  and  refolding  it,  placed  it  in  his  own 
pocket,  remarking,  with  a  smile:  "I  think,  if  you 
gentlemen  will  allow  me,  that  I  can  expedite  matters 
by  explaining  existing  conditions  without  the  neces 
sity  of  delving  into  figures  just  yet." 

The  two  men  reclining  on  the  bed,  aroused  by 
his  action  and  speech,  were  now  sitting  up.  The 
youngest,  who  had  been  introduced  as  Mr.  Earl 
Stevens,  had  started  to  arise  and  interfere,  when 
Norton,  glancing  in  his  direction,  arrested  his  move 
ments,  and  he  had  remained  seated. 

Jack  Norton,  realizing  instantly  that  he  had  the 
situation  well  in  hand,  could  not  resist  the  tempta 
tion  to  launch  his  first  shaft  at  Stevens.  He  con 
tinued:  "Your  friend  Mr.  Stevens  is  no  doubt  a 
stenographer,  and  perhaps  he  would  like  to  make 
notes  during  our  conversation." 

Stevens  flushed  and  admitted  that  he  was  not, 
and  the  old  gentleman  said  he  did  not  deem  it 
necessary. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  167 

Travis  Gully,  who  was  wholly  unprepared  for 
this  byplay  on  young  Norton's  part,  sat  quietly  by 
and  awaited  for  him  to  continue. 

Excusing  himself  for  a  moment,  Jack  Norton 
stepped  out  into  the  hall,  and  entering  an  adjoining 
room,  the  door  of  which  was  standing  open,  he 
immediately  returned  with  a  chair,  which  he  placed 
at  the  table,  and  began: 

"In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Palmer,"  this  being  the 
old  gentleman's  name,  "what  is  the  nature  of  the 
improvements  that  you  propose  to  make  on  this 
land?" 

"Well,"  Palmer  began,  "we  intend  to  have  it 
cleared  of  .brush  and  prepared  for  sowing  to  grain." 

"What  amount  of  land  do  you  propose  to  have 
put  into  a  state  of  cultivation?"  Norton  asked. 

"One  whole  section  this  winter,  and  probably 
more  later,"  replied  Palmer. 

"You  have  visited  this  land  and  are  familiar 
with  the  conditions,  are  you  not,  Mr.  Palmer?"  asked 
Jack. 

"Yes,  I  was  there  yesterday." 

"Knowing  that  the  land  is  isolated  to  a  certain 
extent  and  that  there  are  no  buildings  on  it  or 
water  for  the  men  and  stock  who  may  be  employed 
by  you,  do  you  propose  to  make  the  necessary  im 
provements  in  the  way  of  shelter  and  water,  or  does 
the  contractor  have  to  provide  these  requirements?" 
was  Norton's  next  question. 

"We  had  not  contemplated  improving  the  prop 
erty  to  that  extent  until  we  had  gotten  some  returns 
on  our  first  planting,"  answere  Palmer,  "but  should 


168  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

the  prospect  for  a  good  yield  look  encouraging  the 
company  might  put  on  substantial  improvements  in 
the  way  of  buildings  and  wells  in  preparation  for 
the  coming  harvest." 

"Then  by  your  reference  to  the  company,  I  am 
to  understand  that  you  and  these  gentlemen  who 
are  accompanying  you  are  not  the  sole  owners  of 
this  land.  Am  I  right?"  asked  Jack,  with  a  look 
in  the  direction  of  the  two  men  on  the  bed. 

"I  am  the  agent  of  the  owners,  and  these  two 
young  gentlemen  are  surveyors  who  have  accom 
panied  me  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the  lines 
with  the  view  to  fencing,  and  to  take  notes  of  the 
topographical  features  of  the  land,  which  they  hope 
at  some  time  in  the  future  will  be  irrigated,"  ex 
plained  Palmer.  And  he  continued:  "These  gentle 
men  have  come  prepared  to  remain  until  their  work 
is  completed.  As  for  me,  I  shall  return  as  soon  as 
the  details  of  the  preparation  of  the  land  for  seeding 
have  been  settled."  And  drawing  from  his  pocket 
a  bundle  of  papers,  extracting  one  from  among 
them  and  laying  it  upon  the  table,  he  leaned  back 
in  his  chair  and  added:  "My  credentials." 

Palmer  took  the  slip  and  glancing  at  the  figures 
on  it,  turned  it  over  and  made  some  calculations, 
and  seeming  satisfied,  asked  if  they  had  prepared 
an  agreement. 

Norton  replied  that  they  had  simply  outlined  it, 
and  if  the  primary  feature,  the  price,  was  satis 
factory,  the  other  details  could  be  worked  out  later, 
as  he  understood  from  Mr.  Gully  that  they  were  to 
return  with  them  provided  an  agreement  was 
reached." 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  169 

"Very  well,"  answered  Palmer,  "if  you  gentlemen 
will  remain  and  take  lunch  with  us,  we  will  be  more 
fit  for  the  long  drive." 

They  both  thanked  him  and  accepted  the  invi 
tation.  Gully  suggested  that  it  would  save  time  if 
he  loaded  their  equipment  before  lunch  and  be  ready 
to  start  as  soon  as  it  was  over.  With  this  object 
in  view,  he  and  Norton  left  the  room,  remarking 
that  they  would  get  the  team  and  return  immediately. 

Travis  Gully  watched  young  Norton  closely  as 
they  crossed  to  where  the  team  was  tied,  but  made 
no  remark,  as  he  knew  that  Jack  was  thinking  and 
would  soon  express  himself  in  regard  to  the  inter 
view  that  had  just  closed. 

As  they  were  preparing  to  climb  into  the  wagon 
to  drive  to  the  hotel,  Jack  stopped  with  one  foot  on 
the  wheel  and  said,  "Do  you  know,  Mr.  Gully,  that 
I  believe  I've  seen  that  man  Palmer  before,"  and 
then  he  added,  "That  fellow  Stevens  is  a  cad.  Well 
I  kept  him  out  of  it,  anyway." 

Gully  made  no  reply  to  Jacks  remark  about 
Palmer,  but  he  though  Stevens  was  a  "Smartalec." 

Norton,  knowing  that  his  opportunity  for  talking 
privately  with  Gully  would  be  gone  after  they,  had 
joined  the  others  at  the  hotel,  apologized  for  taking 
the  paper  as  he  did,  explaining  that  Palmer  would 
see  at  a  glance  what  a  less  experienced  man  would 
have  -to  figure  out,  and  there  was  certain  figures 
on  that  paper  that  he  did  not  want  him  to  have 
until  he  had  learned  the  extent  of  his  authority. 

Gully  told  him  that  he  had  acted  just  right  for 
he  supposed  that  the  paper  was  to  be  submitted  as 


170  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

it  was,  and  he  told  Jack  that  he  would  leave  the 
arrangements  of  the  details  entirely  in  his  hands. 

It  still  lacking-  a  few  mintes  to  lunch  time,  they 
drove  to  the  store  where  a  few  purchases  were  made 
by  Gully  that  had  become  necessary  from  the  fact 
that  the  strangers  were  to  be  his  guests  for  a 
time.  When  this  was  finished  and  the  amount  of 
the  bill  had  been  figured,  Jack  Norton  asked  that 
it  be  receipted,  and  paid  the  cash.  Gully  remon 
strated  with  him  and  asked  his  idea  for  doing  so. 

"We  are  partners  are  we  not?"  asked  Jack. 

In  some  things,"  Gully  replied,  "but — " 

"Never  mind  the  buts,"  laughingly  interrupted 
Jack,  "remember  you  have  the  wagon  and  teams, 
while  I  have  put  in  nothing  and  besides,  their  being 
there  will  make  more  work  for  Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida. 
Understand  that  I  intend  to  be  a  partner  in  every 
sense  of  the  word." 

Gully  made  no  reply  to  this,  and  loading  on  their 
supplies,  they  drove  to  the  hotel  and  taking  on 
the  tents,  baggage  and  instruments  of  the  strangers, 
tied  their  team  and  entered  the  hotel  to  await  the 
call  to  lunch,  which  was  soon  announced. 

The  start  after  lunch  and  the  long  drive  to  the 
Gully  home  was  devoid  of  interest.  Norton  had  given 
up  his  seat  with  Gully  to  Mr.  Palmer,  and  had  con 
tented  himself  with  a  less  comfortable  one  in  the 
rear  of  the  wagon  among  the  boxes  and  baggage. 
The  strangers  who  had  put  aside  their  business 
suits  and  had  donned  their  khaki,  were  being  jostled 
and  jolted  in  a  most  heartless  manner  by  the  rough 
wagon  as  it  rumbled  along,  clattering  over  stones  and 
bumping  over  the  sagebrush  that  obstructed  the  road. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  171 

Conversation  was  a  burden  to  these  men,  who 
fresh  from  the  East,  were  accustomed  to  more  con 
venient  means  of  transporation.  Young  Norton, 
who  was  secretly  enjoying  their  discomfort,  was 
inclined  to  be  social,  and  in  his  efforts  to  entertain 
them,  kept  up  a  constant  stream  of  conversation. 
He  told  them  of  the  advantages  of  the  locality,  of 
the  prospects  of  its  being  irrigated  in  the  very  near 
future  by  the  government,  and  how,  if  they  were 
wise,  they  would  secure  a  claim  before  it  was  too 
late,  and  remain  on  it.  He  gave  them  a  glowing 
description  of  his  trip  to  the  harvest  field,  and 
recounted  his  experiences  while  there,  and  as  they 
showed  unmistakable  evidence  of  being  bored  he 
would  point  to  the  claim  of  some  homesteader  and 
tell  them  where  they  had  come  from  and  how  long 
he  must  remain  on  his  claim  before  he  could  make 
final  proof. 

The  noise  of  the  wagon  prevented  Jack  from 
hearing  how  Travis  Gully  and  Mr.  Palmer  was 
passing  away  the  time.  He  could  occasionally  see 
one  or  the  other  point  at  some  object  in  the  distance, 
and  he  supposed  that  they  were  getting  along  nicely. 
As  for  him,  Jack  Norton  frequently  remarked  years 
after  that  he  never  had  a  better  time,  nor  the  road 
seem  so  short. 

They  did  not  arrive  at  Gullys  in  time  to  establish 
their  camp  that  night,  as  the  road  they  had  driven 
out  necessitated  slow  driving.  After  the  wagon  had 
been  unloaded  and  the  horses  cared  for,  supper  was 
announced  and  the  strangers  accompanying  Travis 
Gully  to  the  house,  were  introduced  to  his  family. 


172  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

Norton,  who  remained  until  after  supper,  knowing 
that  Gully  was  not  prepared  to  furnish  beds  for  the 
three  men,  invited  the  two  surveyors  to  accompany 
him  to  his  shack,  where  he  would  make  them  as 
comfortable  for  the  night  as  he  could.  He  was  care 
ful  not  to  mention  the  distance  nor  the  scarcity  of 
comforts  at  his  home. 

The  surveyors  accepted  his  offer  of  hospitality  for 
the  night,  and  before  they  left  to  accompany  him, 
it  was  arranged  that  they  were  to  return  for  break 
fast  the  following  morning,  and  the  day  would  be 
devoted  to  preparing  their  camp,  and  a  trip  to  the 
company's  land. 

It  was  less  than  two  miles  from  Gullys  to  Jack 
Norton's  shack,  but  to  the  surveyors  who  had  been 
made  tired  and  sore  by  the  long  rough  ride  of  the 
afternoon,  the  walk  through  the  darkness  across 
the  sage  covered  plain,  with  its  numerous  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  tufts  of  bunch  grass,  scraggling  sage 
brush  and  abandoned  badger  holes,  into  and  over 
which  they  were  constantly  stumbling  and  falling  in 
their  efforts  to  follow  Jack,  who,  taking  advantage  of 
the  shorter  route,  had  purposely  left  the  road.  To 
them  the  trip  seemed  interminable,  and  when  they 
finally  reached  Norton's  home  they  staggered  in,  and 
after  he  had  lighted  the  small  kerosene  lamp,  looked 
wistfully  at  the  crude  bed  which  Jack  pointed  out  to 
them  with  the  remark:  "It  does  not  look  very  in 
viting,  but  I  suppose  you  gentlemen  are  tired  enough 
to  enjoy  even  these  poor  accommodations." 

To  which  Thomas  Dugan,  the  eldest  of  the  two 
strangers,  answered:  "I  feel  tired  enough  to  sleep 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  173 

anywhere,"  and  added,  smilingly,  "I  wish  you  boys 
could  see  some  of  the  places  where  I  have  bunked 
while  surveying  with  the  U.  S.  Geological  survey 
party  in  Alaska." 

Norton's  interest  was  immeidately  aroused,  bufc 
knowing  the  hour  to  be  growing  late,  and  feeling 
rather  played  out  himself,  from  the  long  hours  of 
the  night  before,  only  remarked,  "I  would  like  to 
hear  about  it  sometime,  Dr.  Dugan." 

Norton  then  asked  his  guests  if  they  felt  as 
though  a  fire  would  add  to  their  comfort,  if  so  he 
would  kindle  one,  as  it  would  not  take  a  great  while 
to  warm  the  room. 

Earl  Stevens  replied  that  all  he  wanted  was  "To 
get  to  bed." 

"Very  well,"  answered  Jack.  "How  about  you 
Mr.  Dugan,  are  you  chilly?" 

"Not  in  the  least,"  Dugan  answered. 

"Then  you  and  Mr.  Stevens  may  occuply  my  bed. 
I  am  sorry  I  have  such  limited  quarters  that  to  pro 
vide  you  with  separate  apartments  is  impossible." 

"But  how  about  yourself,  where  are  you  to  sleep?" 
asked  Dugan. 

"Never  mind  about  me,  I  am  provided  for," 
laughed  Jack,  and  reaching  under  his  bed  drew  out 
his  roll  of  harvest  blankets. 

"These,"  he  said,  "Have  been  my  only  resting 
place  for  many  long  weeks  during  the  harvest  season 
just  passed,  and  I  rather  enjoy  the  prospect  of  an 
other  night  tucked  comfortably  away  in  their  folds." 

Earl  Stevens,  who  during  this  time  had  been 
busily  unlacing  and  removing  his  leather  leggins  and 


174  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

removing  his  outer  garments,  was  now  ready  to 
retire,  and  with  the  remark,  "Any  port  in  a  storm," 
he  rolled  over  to  the  side  next  to  the  wall  and  crawl 
ed  beneath  the  cover. 

Dugan,  after  asking  Norton  if  he  could  be  of 
any  assistance  to  him,  in  preparing  his  bed,  and 
upon  Jacks  assurance  that  he  could  manage  it  alone, 
soon  joined  Stevens. 

Jack  Norton,  after  putting  out  the  light  and 
bidding  his  guests  good-night,  was  soon  snoring  con 
tentedly.  If  they  were  not  comfortable,  restless  or 
his  snoring  disturbed  them,  Jack  was  unaware  of 
the  fact,  for  he  did  not  awake  the  following  morn 
ing  until  the  sun  was  well  up. 

When  he  arose  and  went  to  the  one  small  window 
with  which  his  house  was  provided,  and  drawing 
back  the  piece  of  calico  that  Miss  Anderson  had 
neatly  hemed  and  with  which  she  had  presented  him 
as  a  part  of  his  furnishings,  the  room  was  filled 
with  sunlight.  His  guests  were  sleeping  soundly 
and  were  not  awakened  until  the  noise  made  by 
filling  the  stove  with  sagebrush  aroused  them. 

Jack  lighted  the  fire  and  asked  them  if  they  were 
ready  to  get  up.  Dugan  immediately  arose  and  after 
dressing,  followed  Norton  out  to  the  bench,  where 
he  was  provided  with  a  brimming  basin  of  ice  cold 
water  with  which  to  bathe  his  face.  Jack  laughingly 
told  him  "The  ice  water  was  another  reminder  of  his 
trip  to  Alaska." 

Stevens,  who  soon  followed,  was  also  provided 
with  this  primitive  means  of  performing  his  morning 
ablution,  and  seemed  much  refreshed  after  its  com- 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  175 

pletion.  Upon  being  asked  as  to  how  they  had  rest 
ed,  both  he  and  Dugan  replied,  "Spendidly." 

Norton  realized  that  breakfast  was  probably 
awaiting  their  arrival  at  the  Gully  home  and  not 
wishing  to  cause  any  additional  delay,  pointed  out 
Gully's  house,  and  asked  his  guests  if  they  would 
mind  going  there  alone  as  he  had  some  chores  to  do, 
before  he  could  come,  but  would  follow  as  quickly  as 
possible. 

There  being  no  objections  to  this,  Dugan  and 
Stevens  left  in  the  direction  of  Gully's.  Jack  Norton 
watched  their  departure  for  a  few  moments.  He 
had  made  up  his  mind  f rom^  the  first  that  he  did 
not  like  young  Stevens  but  had  decided  that  Dugan 
was  a  good  sort,  and  was  anxious  to  have  an  oppor 
tunity  to  know  him  better,  and  to  hear  of  his  experi 
ence  while  in  Alaska.  Going  into  the  house,  he 
straightened  out  the  interior  and  supplying  himself 
with  pencils  and  paper  for  his  use  during  the  day, 
followed  his  guests,  to  Gully's. 

Mrs.  Gully  was  just  serving  breakfast  when 
Norton  arrived,  and  he  noting  that  the  places  at  the 
table  were  all  filled,  insisted  upon  her  arising  to  pre 
pare  a  place  for  him,  that  he  "Had  much  rather 
wait  and  eat  with  the  children".  As  the  girls  and  Joe 
clamored  with  their  mother,  that  Jack's  wishes  in 
this  respect  be  granted,  she  smilingly  answered, 
"Very  well  then,  just  as  you  and  Jack  say,  but  run 
along  now,  and  let  us  eat  in  peace". 

Jack  was  out  near  where  the  equipment  of 
the  strangers  had  been  unloaded,  preparatory  to 
raising  the  tents,  when  a  few  minutes  after,  Ida 


176  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

came  to  where  he  was  standing  and  asked  if  he  had 
eaten  breakfast  so  soon,  she  not  having  been  in  the 
room  when  Jack  arrived,  Norton  answered  that  he 
had  not,  and  that  he  proposed  to  wait  and  eat  with 
the  homefolks  as  he  had  gained  her  mother's  consent 
to  such  an  arrangement. 

Ida  expressed  herself  as  pleased  and  said  she 
had  avoided  meeting  the  strangers  and  seeing  him 
outside  had  taken  this  opportunity  to  ask  him  how 
he  had  managed  to  care  for  the  two  men  as  she 
knew  his  house  was  small. 

Jack  told  her  that  they  got  along  nicely,  and  he 
supposed  that  they  had  rested  well,  as  he  had  heard 
no  complaint  and  he  related  how  he  had  led  them 
across  the  sagebrush  in  the  dark  and  expressed  the 
opinion  that  if  anything  would  induce  sleep,  such  a 
trip  as  he  had  given  them  surely  would. 

Ida  laughed  merrily  at  Jack's  description  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  two  surveyors  had  stumbled 
,along  in  the  dark,  but  asked  if  it  was  not  equally 
hard  on  him. 

Assuring  her  that  he  was, familiar  with  the  route 
over  which  they  had  gone  they  chatted  on  until  Joe 
came  running  from  the  house  calling  to  them, 
"Mamma  said  come  to  breakfast."  As  they  went 
to  the  house  in  response  to  this  summons,  they  passed 
Gully  and  the  strangers,  who  were  on  their  way 
out  to  where  the  equipment  lay. 

Travis  Gully,  calling  to  Jack  to  wait  a  moment, 
came  back  and  told  him  when  he  had  finished  eat 
ing,  to  send  Joe  out  and  let  him  know,  as  he  wanted 
to  arrange  some  plans  for  the  day  with  him  privately. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  177 

Norton  promised  to  do  so,  and  as  he  turned  to  rejoin 
Ida,  who  was  waiting,  found  her  embarrassed  and 
annoyed  by  the  constant  staring  of  Stevens,  who 
had  stopped  to  await  Gully's  coming,  but  as  she  did 
not  mention  the  matter,  Jack  did  not  let  her  know 
that  he  had  noticed  it. 

After  his  breakfast  was  eaten,  Jack  sent  Joe  to 
tell  his  father,  and  when  Gully,  after  excusing  him 
self  for  a  few  moments,  left  the  strangers,  and  came 
to  the  house,  where  Jack  was  awaiting  him  in  the 
kitchen.  He  told  him  that  he  had  been  thinking  the 
matter  of  the  contract  over,  and  thought  it  a  good 
idea  to  have  a  talk  with  some  of  their  neighbors 
and  make  sure  of  their  help  before  binding  them 
selves  to  an  agreement. 

"How  do  you  propose  to  manage  it?"  asked 
Jack. 

"I  thought  you  might  take  one  of  the  teams  and 
go  see  such  of  those  as  you  could,  while  I  get  the 
tents  up,  and  upon  your  return  we  could  drive  over 
and  see  the  land,"  answered  Gully. 

Jack  thought  for  a  moment  before  he  replied  to 
this  proposition.  "I'll  tell  you,"  he  finally  said, 
"tomorrow  night  the  literary  society  meets.  We  will 
attend  the  meeting,  leaving  these  men  here.  They 
would  not  be  interested,  and  while  we  are  there  we 
can  take  the  matter  up  with  those  we  want  to  see." 

"But  how  about  the  contract?"  asked  Gully. 
"Ought  it  be  signed,  or  can  it  wait  a  day  or  two?" 

"Let  it  wait,"  replied  Jack. 

So  they  went  together  where  the  strangers  were 
waiting,  and  in  a  short  time,  two  tents  were  raised, 


178  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

and  made  fairly  comfortable,  and  the  strangers  had 
taken  up  their  quarters.  Mr.  Palmer,  with  a  rough 
board  table,  and  his  suit  case  contain  maps  and 
papers  occupying  one,  and  Dugan  and  Stevens  with 
their  surveying  instruments,  the  other. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  179 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

It  was  now  approaching  the  Holiday  season,  and 
there  was  as  yet  no  indications  of  a  severe  winter. 
There  had  been  sufficient  frost  to  kill  the  grass,  but 
stock  was  doing  nicely  on  the  range  and  little  feeding 
was  required. 

No  especial  arrangements  had  been  made  for  the 
seasons  entertainment,  everyone  seemed  to  be  in 
terested  in  the  progress  of  the  preparations  for  work 
on  the  big  contract.  It  was  generally  known  that 
it  was  secured  by  Gully  and  Norton  and  the  neigh 
bors  were  anxiously  awaiting  the  time  for  actual 
work  to  begin. 

The  call  for  help  among  them  on  the  night  of  the 
literary  meeting,  had  been  gladly  responded  to,  and 
almost  daily  requests  for  work  were  being  received 
from  persons  who  lived  many  miles  distant. 

The  deal  had  been  successfully  consummated  and 
Mr.  Palmer  had  returned  to  the  East.  The  surveyors 
Dugan  and  Stevens  were  eagerly  endeavoring  to  com 
plete  their  part  of  the  work,,  in  order  to  return  to 
their  homes  in  time  for  the  Holiday  festivities. 

Travis  Gully  and  Jack  Norton  who  had  secured 
additional  teams,  were  busily  hauling  material  for 
the  erection  of  shelters,  and  feed,  to  the  point  on 
the  company's  land,  that  had  been  selected  for  the 
establishment  of  the  main  camp. 


180  THE   LAND   OF  LURE      . 

Fresh  water  was  to  be  hauled  daily  from  Gully's 
well  in  a  huge  tank  that  had  been  constructed  for  this 
purpose,  and  everything  was  to  be  gotten  in  readiness 
for  work  to  begin  immediately  after  the  new  year. 

Jack  Norton  and  Dugan  became  great  friends, 
and  the  latter  spent  many  nights  with  Jack  when  they 
would  sit  for  hours  by  the  roaring  sheet  iron  stove, 
while  Jack  listened  in  boyish  eagerness  to  the  older 
mans  accounts  of  his  experiences  while  in  Alaska 
with  the  Geological  survey.  Dugan  soon  discovered 
that  Jack's  hobby  was  geology,  and  he  could  talk 
learnedly  on  that  subject,  so  it  welded  their  friend 
ship  all  the  stronger. 

Miss  Anderson  came  almost  daily  after  school, 
to  assist  Mrs.  Gully  in  preparing  a  few  trinkets  for 
Christmas,  and  they  would  sit  at  night  and  plan 
for  Ida's  future.  Miss  Anderson  was  especially  anxi 
ous  to  keep  Ida,  who  was  peculiarly  adapted  to, 
and  took  such  an  interest  in  fancy  needle  work  under 
her  care  and  instruction,  and  she  also  taught  her 
how  to  prepare  and  serve  such  dainty  dishes  as  the 
means  at  their  hand  permitted. 

Minnie  Gully  could  see,  and  appreciated  Miss 
Anderson's  interest  in  Ida,  for  the  girl  had  never 
until  now,  had  an  opportunity  to  learn,  and  no  one 
could  find  fault  with  Miss  Anderson  as  a  teacher. 

In  fact,  Ida  was  rapidly  developing  into  a  very 
able  young  lady  and  was  beginning  to  show  the 
traces  of  refinement  that  she  had  no  doubt,  as  Miss 
Anderson  expressed  it,  inherited  from  her  mother, 
although  the  latters  natural  incinations  in  this  respect 
had  lain  dormant  up  to  within  the  last  two  years. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  181 

She  was  proud  of  Ida  and  missed  no  opportunity  to 
refer  to  the  progress  her  pupil  was  making. 

The  lines  having  been  all  established  and  nothing 
left  but  the  topographical  map  of  the  land  to  be  com 
pleted,  and  most  of  the  data  for  this  having  been  ob 
tained,  the  greater  part  of  young  Stevens  work  con 
sisted  of  draughting  and  the  compilation  of  the  data. 
He  did  not  join  in  the  conversation  with  the  men, 
and  his  only  occupaiton  while  not  at  his  work,  seem 
ed  to  be  seeking  an  opportunity  of  forcing  his  at 
tentions  on  Ida  Gully. 

In  this  he  was  frustrated  by  the  young  lady  her 
self,  who  avoided  him  except  at  such  times  as  he 
came  to  his  meals.  Occasionally  he  came  to  the 
house  during  the  evening,  ostensibly  to  talk  with  her 
father,  but  usually  ignored  Gully,  but  he  gained  no 
opportunity  to  speak  with  her  except  in  the  presence 
of  either  Miss  Anderson  or  her  mother. 

On  one  such  occasion  he  asked  Miss  Anderson 
why  so  able  a  person  as  she  should  waste  her  talent 
by  remaining  in  such  a  wilderness,  and  then  fixing 
his  gaze  on  Ida,  busily  engaged  on  her  fancy  work, 
quoted : 

"Many  a  rose  is  born, 

To  blush,  unseen, 
And  waste  its  fragrance; 

On  the  desert  air." 

Miss  Anderson  replied  that  she  would  not  con 
sider  her  time  or  talent  wasted  if  she  could  restore 
to  the  world  just  one  of  these  desert  roses  to  which 
he  referred,  in  all  its  native  simplicity.  For,  she 


182  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

continued,  without  such  talent  as  I  possess,  to  protect 
it,  the  contaminating  influence  that  surrounds  the 
desert,  might  invade  the  retreat  of  the  rose  and 
cast  its  blight  upon  it. 

Stevens  was  not  expecting  this  thrust,  and  parried 
by  saying  that  the  contaminating  influence,  civiliza 
tion,  to  which  Miss  Anderson  evidently  referred, 
would  probably  invade  their  retreat  within  the  near 
future,  for  from  what  he  had  seen  and  learned,  dur 
ing  his  stay  in  the  locality,  the  country  would  soon 
make  rapid  strides  and  would  become  an  active  agri 
cultural  center. 

"We  certainly  hope  so,  and  with  that  expectation, 
we  shall  continue  to  prepare  ourselves  to  blend  with 
the  changed  conditions,  when  it  does  come.  But  for 
the  preseint  we  are  contented,"  she  answered. 

Ida  cast  an  appreciative  glance  at  Miss  Anderson 
and  secretly  resolved  to  place  herself  completely  in 
her  hand,  in  hopes  that  she  too  might  acquire  her 
dignified  manner  and  conversational  power. 

At  last  the  work  of  the  surveyors  was  finished, 
and  the  tents  were  lowered  and  packed  with  their 
instruments,  ready  for  their  return.  Gully  was  to 
drive  them  to  the  village.  Dugan  and  Stevens  had 
spent  the  last  night  of  their  stay  with  Jack,  in  his 
shack,  under  the  same  conditions  they  had  the  first, 
with  the  exception  that  they  now  knew  Norton — 
Dugan  to  respect  and  Stevens  to  fear  this  young  man 
who  had  surprised  them  both  with  his  apparent  busi 
ness  ability  and  his  gentlemanly  manner. 

Travis  Gully  drove  away  with  the  two  men,  after 
the  family  had  bidden  them  goodbye.  Norton  and 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  183 

Miss  Anderson  were  present  to  pay  their  respects  to 
the  departing  guests.  Norton  requested  that  they 
lose  no  opportunity  to  speak  a  favorable  word  for 
the  reclammation  of  the  desert,  and  Miss  Anderson 
expressed  her  hopes  to  young  Stevens  that  his  pre 
dictions  for  the  future  of  the  country  would  come 
true. 

The  affairs  at  the  Gully  home  soon  resumed  their 
normal  stage  after  the  departure  of  the  surveyors, 
and  as  the  preparations  were  completed  for  the 
work  of  clearing  the  land  to  be  started,  the  matter  of 
the  holidays  was  taken  up,  and  numerous  -  suggestions 
for  a  befitting  Christmas  celebration  were  made. 
As  only  a  few  days  remained  before  the  time  would 
arrive,  hasty  action  was  required. 

At  Sunday  school  the  next  Sunday,  the  matter  was 
discussed,  and  a  committee  consisting  of  Miss  Ander 
son,  Jack  Norton  and  The  Professor  were  appointed 
to  take  charge  of  the  affair,  and  all  felt  satisfied  that 
in  these  competent  hands  success  was  assured. 

The  Holiday  vacation  of  two  weeks  which  Miss 
Anderson  and  the  Professor  gave  their  schools  gave 
ample  time  for  the  preparations  and  a  splendid 
time  was  had  at  the  entertainment,  but  to  those  who 
were  present  the  Christmas  before  at  the  old  sage 
brush  tree,  there  was  something  missing.  They 
could  not  define  what,  but  the  same  neighborly  feel 
ing  did  not  exist.  This  was  probably  due  to  their 
increased  number  and  the  introduciton  of  new  char- 
"acters  among  them. 

Snow  began  to  fall  in  small  flurries  during  the 
Holidays,  but  not  in  sufficient  quantities  as  to  inter- 


184  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

fere  with  the  plans  for  work.  Immediately  after 
the  New  Year  Gully  moved  with  his  family  to  the 
company's  land  where  Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida  were  to 
cook  for  the  men  employed  on  the  work. 

The  fall  of  snow,  though  light,  interferred  with 
plowing,  but  the  removal  of  sagebrush  progressed 
rapidly.  This  was  accomplished  by  hitching  two  or 
more  horses  at  each  end  of  a  steel  rail,  procured  at 
the  railroad,  and  by  means  of  which  the  sagebrush 
was  dragged  or  broken  from  the  land.  The  men  and 
children  following  this  contrivance,  gathering  the 
brush  and  piling  it  ready  for  burning. 

Everything  progressed  splendidly,  the  favorable 
weather  kept  the  range  open  and  thus  the  supply 
of  feed  for  the  horses  was  conserved.  Most  of 
the  land  was  cleared  of  brush  before  the  season  for 
plowing  arrived,  and  when  it  came,  which  was  at 
an  exceptionally  early  date,  every  team  was  available 
for  this  service  and  was  put  to  work. 

Travis  Gully,  whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  supplies 
in  the  way  of  provisions  and  water  at  the  camp, 
was  kept  constantly  on  the  road,  either  to  the  village 
or  his  well.  Jack  Norton  looked  after  the  allotment 
of  parcels  of  land  to  be  plowed  and  kept  track  of 
the  work  accomplished  by  each  of  those  engaged. 
This,  together  with  the  accounts  and  correspondence 
incident  to  the  work,  required  all  of  his  time,  but 
under  his  able  management  the  work  was  so  system- 
ized  that  it  was  completed  some  weeks  in  advance 
of  the  time  specified  in  the  contract. 

Encouraged  by  this  fact  he  suggested  to  Gully 
that  they  put  in  a  bid  with  the  company  for  seeding 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  185 

and  fencing  the  land,  which  they  did  and  were 
awarded  the  contract  for  this  also. 

It  was  a  very  successful  winter  for  both  Gully  and 
Norton.  While  they  had  been  most  liberal  in  their 
payments  to  their  neighbors  who  had  been  employed 
by  them,  the  final  accounting  showed  flattering 
results. 

Travis  Gully  had  sufficient  funds  to  install  a  much 
better  pumping  plant  at  his  well  than  he  had  dreamed 
of.  Instead  of  the  windmill  he  purchased  a  gasoline 
engine  and  one  of  the  most  recently  invented  pumps, 
the  capacity  of  his  pumping  plant  was  sufficient  to 
furnish  water  for  irrigation  of  forty  acres. 

Jack  Norton  bought  a  wagon  and  team  for  his 
own  use,  and  made  extensive  improvements  on  his 
claim,  among  which  was  a  well  with  a  windmill, 
and  a  much  needed  addition  to  his  house. 

The  seeding  of  their  own  places  to  grain,  was  but 
a  small  task  as  compared  to  the  one  they  had  just 
completed,  and  was  soon  accomplished.  As  the 
spring  season  advanced  and  the  young  grain  came  up 
and  began  to  show  a  faint  tinge  of  green  that  was 
noticeable  at  a  distance,  Gully  and  Norton  decided 
to  visit  the  companys  land  and  view  the  results  of 
their  work. 

The  prospects  there  were  even  better  than  at 
their  own  homes.  The  grain  having  been  sown 
earlier,  was  farther  advanced  and  made  a  much 
better  showing.  As  the  two  men  strolled  over  the 
immense  field  of  young  grain  they  could  recall  to 
their  minds  the  scenes  in  the  harvest  fields  that 
they  had  witnessed  the  fall  before,  and  shifted  the 


186  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

scene  of  action  to  their  own  immediate  neighbor 
hood. 

Jack  Norton,  in  his  pride  at  the  promising  out 
look,  wrote  to  Mr.  Palmer  and  gave  him  a  glowing 
description  of  what  the  probable  outcome  would  be. 

A  few  weeks  passed  during  which  time  Gully 
planted  a  number  of  fruit  trees  and  prepared  a  nice 
field  of  alfalfa  -which  had  just  begun  to  come  up. 
Knowing  that  the  snow  fall  had  been  light  during 
the  winter  and  noting  the  absence  of  the  seasonable 
showers  of  the  spring  before,  he  watched  the  small 
amount  of  moisture  which  the  ground  had  contained, 
and  saw  it  rapidly  being  absorbed  by  the  increasing 
heat  of  the  sun,  and  least  the  growth  of  his  young 
alfalfa  be  retarded,  he  set  his  engine  to  going  and 
gave  the  patch  a  thorough  wetting.  His  trees  were 
beginning  to  put  forth  their  tender  leaves,  and  as 
the  ditch  through  which  the  water  flowed  to  the 
alfalfa  passed  near  the  trees,  it  watered  them  also. 

The  desert  never  looked  more  beautiful.  The  ab 
sence  of  severe  wind  storms  during  the  spring  and 
summer  before  had  allowed  the  sand  to  remain 
smooth,  just  as  it  had  been  left  beaten  by  the  rains. 
Upon  arising  one  morning,  Gully  noted  far  to  the 
west,  an  occasional  puff  of  dust,  and  then  a  spiral 
column  of  sand  would  mount  heavenward  and  attain 
a  height  of  several  hundred  feet,  and  scattering, 
would  cause  the  air  to  become  murkey  and  hazy. 

Travis  Gully's  heart  sank  within  him,  for  he 
knew  too  well  the  meaning  of  these  signs.  That  it 
foretold  a  desert  sand  storm  he  knew,  and  his  only 
hope  was  that  it  would  not  be  a  severe  one.  Saying 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  187 

if 

nothing  he  went  about  his  work,  knowing  from  his 
experience  during  the  first  year  in  the  region  that  it 
would  be  hours  before  its  extent  would  be  known. 

The  children  went  to  school  as  usual,  but  Gully 
kept  constant  watch  on  the  approaching  storm.  By 
noon  he  knew  by  the  increased  movement  of  the 
clouds  of  dust  that  it  was  to  be  a  terrific  storm,  and 
advised  his  wife  of  the  fact.  She  suggested  that  he 
take  the  wagon  and  go  to  the  school  and  bring  the 
children  and  Miss  Anderson  home,  which  he  did. 
On  his  way  to  the  school  he  thought  of  Jack  Norton, 
and  knowing  that  there  had  been  no  real  desert 
storms  since  he  came,  decided  to  drive  by  his  place 
and  warn  him  of  its  approach. 

He  saw  Jack  clearing  more  ground,  working  con 
tentedly  in  blissful  ignorance  of  the  impending 
calamity.  Calling  to  him  to  come  to  the  fence  Gully 
told  him  of  his  fears  and  advised  that  he  lash  down 
his  windmill  and  make  such  other  preparations  as 
he  saw  fit,  as  the  storm  would  probably  last  for 
several  days. 

Norton  thanked  him,  and  looking  in  the  direction 
of  the  clouds,  remarked:  "I  saw  that  coming,  but 
thought  it  might  mean  a  good  rain." 

Gully  smiled  and  answered:  "Just  the  opposite 
my  boy,  and  if  you  do  not  feel  like  being  housed 
up  alone  for  several  days  you  had  better  hitch  up 
your  team  and  come  over  to  my  place  until  the 
storm  passes." 

"O  I  guess  it  won't  be  quite  that  bad,"  answered 
Jack,  "but  if  I  see  that  I  cannot  weather  the  gale 
I'll  try  and  work  my  way  over,  thank  you." 


188  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

Gully  drove  off  to  the  school  house,  and  as  he  did 
so,  he  shouted  back,  "Better  take  my  advice,  Jack, 
and  go  on  over  to  the  house." 

Norton  waved  his  hand  and  returned  to  his  work. 

When  Gully  reached  the  school  house  he  told 
Miss  Anderson  of  the  impending  danger,  and  ad 
vised  her  to  dismiss  school  at  once  as  he  feared  some 
of  the  children  who  lived  at  a  distance  would  have 
difficulty  in  reaching  their  home  if  not  given  time 
to  do  so  before  the  storm  reached  them. 

Miss  Anderson  who  had  never  witnessed  one  of 
these  sand  storms  was  now  thoroughly  alarmed  at 
Gully's  apparent  earnestness,  did  as  he  had  advised, 
and  cautioned  the  children  to  hurry  to  their  homes 
if  they  would  avoid  being  caught  in  the  storm. 

After  hurriedly  placing  the  school  room  in  order 
and  securely  fastening  the  windows  and  doors  she 
was  ready  to  go  to  her  own  home,  when  Gully,  in 
forming  her  of  the  probable  duration  of  the  storm, 
and  insisted  on  her  going  home  with  him  and  the 
children.  This  she  did  and  they  had  hardly  reached 
the  Gully  home  when  the  fitful  gusts  of  wind  started 
the  restless  sand  in  motion,  and  before  night,  the 
storm  was  raging.  It  was  impossible  to  see  any 
distance  for  the  blinding  sand  and  dust. 

All  night  it  raged  and  as  there  was  no  signs  of 
its  abatement,  Gully  ventured  out  to  attend  to  his 
stock  the  following  morning.  It  recalled  to  his  mind 
the  winter  of  the  terrible  blizzard  and  it  was  just  as 
severe,  except  that  it  was  driving  sand  instead  of 
snow,  and  they  did  not  have  the  cold  to  contend  with. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  189 

Miss  Anderson  expressed  herself  as  truly  thank 
ful  that  she  had  taken  Mr.  Gully's  advice,  and  came 
home  with  him  and  the  children.  She  tried  to  be  as 
cheerful  as  possible  but  she  now  understood  what  had 
retarded  the  settlement  of  this  beautiful  country  with 
which  she  was  fascinated. 

She  tried  in  vain  to  interest  Ida  in  her  fancy 
work,  but  this  young  lady  persisted  in  standing  at  the 
window  looking  out  in  an  effort  to  penetrate  with  her 
gaze,  the  mass  of  sand  and  dust,  always  looking 
in  the  direciton  of  the  school  house  and  watching  the 
road  that  lead  to  Jack  Norton's  home. 

Miss  Anderson  who  noticed  this,  went  to  her 
and  placing  her  arm  around  the  girl,  asked,  "What 
is  it  dear,  does  the  storm  frighten  you?" 

"No,"  answered  Ida,  "I  was  thinking  of  those 
in  the  desert  who  are  alone  and  wondering  if  they 
were  safe." 

"To  whom  do  you  refer?"  asked  Miss  Anderson. 
"None  of  those  that  I  can  recall  are  alone." 

Ida's  eyes  instantly  filled  with  tears  and  she  ex 
claimed,  "O  Miss  Anderosn,  had  you  forgotten  Mr. 
Norton?  He  is  alone  and  I  know  he  would  have 
been  here  by  now  if  something  had  not  happened  to 
him." 

"Why  bless  your  dear  heart,"  exclaimed  Miss  An 
derson.  "I  had  forgotten  him,  but  you  may  rest 
assured  nothing  has  harmed  him  and  it  is  probable 
because  he  is  busy  taking  care  of  his  stock  and  other 
property  that  he  has  not  been  over.  This  storm 
would  not  stop  him,  I  am  sure."  And  thus  she  com 
forted  the  much  perturbed  girl,  but  to  herself  she 

7* 


190  THE    LAND    OF    LURE 

thought,  "I  knew  it  would  come  to  this,  and  I  do  so 
hope  that  the  feeling  becomes  mutual.  Jack  is  so 
nice  and  I  know  I  can  prepare  this  dear  child  to 
make  him  a  wife  befitting  the  station  in  life  to  which 
I  know  he  belongs." 

After  this  little  scene  at  the  window  Ida  clung 
closer  to  Miss  Anderson,  and  while  she  had  not  con 
fided  in  her,  she  felt  that  she  understood  and  the 
bond  of  sympathy  between  them  was  established. 

The  storm  continued  for  two  days,  and  when  it 
had  exhausted  itself  and  before  the  atmosphere  had 
cleared  sufficiently  to  see  any  distance,  Jack  Norton 
came  tramping  across  the  plain  to  the  Gully  home. 
He  was  greeted  with  shouts  of  welcome  by  Joe  and 
the  younger  girls.  Coming  into  the  front  part  of 
the  house,  he  asked  if  all  were  present,  and  how 
they  had  stood  the  storm.  He  told  Gully  that  he 
had  wished  a  thousand  times  that  he  had  come  with 
him  the  first  day. 

Travis  Gully  asked  if  he  had  been  able  to  note 
the  effect  of  the  storm  on  the  growing  grain.  Norton 
replied  that  he  had  not,  for  as  he  expressed  it,  "I 
have  not  been  able  to  overtake  the  grain  yet.  The 
ground  at  my  place  is  swept  perfectly  clean." 

Gully  arose  and  went  to  the  window,  looked  out 
for  a  minute,  and  turning  to  young  Norton,  said, 
"Let's  take  a  walk,  Jack." 

Norton,  without  replying,  followed  him  out,  and 
they  walked  down  across  the  alfalfa  patch.  Oc 
casionally  they  stopped  and  examined  the  ground 
and  then  came  back  to  the  trees. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  191 

In  a  few  minutes  they  returned  to  the  house  and 
as  they  entered,  Gully  was  heard  to  remark:  "Well, 
it's  a  good  thing  I  put  water  on  when  I  did." 

"What  is  it  Travis,"  asked  his  wife.  "Is  every 
thing  ruined?" 

"No  indeed,"  answered  Gully.  "I  find  that  my 
alfalfa  and  trees  have  not  been  injured  in  the  least. 
The  water  I  put  on  the  ground  has  held  the  sand 
and  I  now  have  the  secret  of  farming  in  this 
country." 

"I  shall  get  me  an  engine  immediately,"  put  in 
Jack.  "Alfalfa,  fruit  and  stock  raising  beats  wheat 
anyway." 

"Do  you  suppose  the  wheat  is  all  ruined?"  asked 
Miss  Anderson. 

"I  am  afraid  so,"  Gully  replied. 

"Gee,"  exclaimed  Jack.  "What  a  letter  I  have 
got  to  write  Mr.  Palmer  now.  Well,  it  is  not  our 
fault." 

They  were  right.  The  wheat  was  all  killed  and 
it  was  too  late  in  the  season  to  replant  had  they 
the  means  of  doing  so.  A  few  days  after  the 
passing  of  the  storm  Gully  and  Norton  drove  to  the 
company's  land  to  view  its  effect. 

Not  a  sprig  of  grain  could  be  found,  and  the 
soil  had  been  blown  from  the  surface  to  the  depth 
of  the  plowing.  The  whole  tract  presented  a  most 
disheartening  appearance.  Both  men  expressed  the 
deepest  regret  and  sympathy  for  the  unfortunate 
owners  who  had  sustained  such  a  loss  and  agreed  that 
they  should  be  notified  of  their  misfortune. 


192  THE    LAND    OF  LURE 

The  letter  was  written  by  Jack,  who  in  a  plain, 
straightforward  manner,  explained  to  Mr.  Palmer 
what  had  befallen  the  grain,  and  added  that  they 
were  not  alone  in  their  misfortune,  as  those  of  the 
homesteaders  who  had  no  well  equipped  with  machin 
ery  for  irrigation,  were  also  heavy  losers.  The  more 
fortunate,  however,  among  whom  was  included,  their 
mutual  friend  Mr.  Gully,  who  could  get  water  on 
the  ground,  had  suffered  but  little.  He  suggetsed  to 
Mr.  Palmer  that  he  take  the  matter  of  irrigating 
their  land  from  a  well,  equipped  with  pumping  mach 
inery,  up  with  his  clients. 

Sometime  later  Jack  received  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Palmer,  thanking  him  for  the  interest  he  had  shown 
in  their  behalf,  and  assured  him  that  in  due  time 
the  company  would  realize  the  necessity  of  doing 
as  was  suggested  in  his  letter.  Sinking  wells  and 
drawing  their  water  supply  from  the  abundance  that, 
it  had  been  proven,  lay  beneath  the  surface. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  193 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

It  was  a  bright  November  morning  three  years 
later  that  two  heavily  loaded  automobiles  were  tear 
ing  their  way  along  the  Scenic  Highway  that  had 
been  constructed  from  St.  Paul  to  Seattle.  Each 
car  contained  three  passengers  besides  the  drivers, 
and  piled  high  on  the  running  boards  and  strapped 
on  the  back  of  each  car  was  the  baggage  and  camp 
equipment  of  the  party. 

At  a  point  in  the  desert  along  the  eastern  bound 
ary  of  which  the  Highway  ran,  it  paralelled  the  rail 
way,  and  ran  thus  for  several  miles,  and  was  inter 
cepted  by  roads  leading  from  homes  that  could  be 
seen  farther  back  across  the  sagebrush  covered  plain. 
These  homes  were  not  numerous,  but  each  in  the 
bright  sunlight  that  caused  the  shimmering,  dancing 
mirage  to  hover  over  the  patches  of  dark  green 
alfalfa  and  orchards  that  surrounded  them,  showed 
the  tourists  plainly  that  the  conquest  of  the  desert, 
in  some  instances,  had  been  accomplished. 

On  this  particular  morning,  a  wagon,  drawn  by 
four  splendid  horses  and  loaded  high  with  bales  of 
alfalfa  that  still  retained  the  green  of  the  field  from 
which  it  had  been  cut,  so  perfect  had  been  the  process 
of  curing,  was  being  driven  from  one  of  these 
homes  by  a  man  by  whose  side  sat  a  chubby  faced 
boy  of  some  eight  or  nine  years. 


194  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

The  wagon  had  just  turned  into  the  highway  a 
short  distance  ahead  of  the  rapidly  moving  cars,  and 
as  they  approached  with  their  horn  coughing  a  dusty 
warning,  the  driver  drew  out  to  one  side  to  await 
their  passing.  The  first  car  rushed  by  and  disap 
peared  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  and  the  one  in  the  rear, 
seeing  the  trouble  the  driver  was  having  with  his 
now  thoroughly  frightened  team,  came  along  beside 
the  wagon  more  slowly  and  asked  if  they  could  be  of 
assistance  in  straightening  out  the  tangled  horses. 

Travis  Gully,  for  it  was  he  and  Joe  who  were  on 
the  wagon,  said  if  someone  would  go  to  the  head  of 
the  leaders  until  he  could  get  down,  he  thought  he 
could  manage  them  until  the  car  had  gone  by.  One 
of  the  men  sprang  from  the  car  and  was  advancing 
to  seize  the  horses  bridles,  when  looking  up,  he 
stopped  short  for  an  instant  and  reaching  his  hand 
up  to  Gully,  exclaimed,  "Well  well,  if  it  is'nt  Mr. 
Gully.  How  are  you?" 

Travis  Gully,  taking  his  attention  from  the  horses 
which  had  now  quieted  down  since  the  car  had 
stopped,  looked  at  the  man  on  the  ground  for  an 
instant,  and  bursting  into  a  laugh  as  he  recognized 
Thomas  Dugan  the  surveyor,  he  half  climbed  and 
half  fell  from  the  wagon,  and  grasped  Dugan  by 
the  hand  and  shook  it  cordially. 

By  this  time  another  occupant  of  the  car,  who 
proved  to  be  Mr.  Palmer,  came  forward,  and  after 
greeting  Gully,  inquired  as  to  the  health  of  the 
rest  of  the  family.  Upon  being  assured  that  they 
were  doing  nicely,  Mr.  Palmer  said,  "I  am  certainly 
glad  to  hear  it."  We  will  probably  be  out  your  way 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  195 

to-morrow.  We  left  Spokane  early  this  morning 
and  are  going  through  to  Wenatchee  for  lunch.  The 
owners  of  the  land  you  cleared  are  in  the  car  that 
just  passed." 

Dugan  had  helped  Joe  from  the  wagon,  and 
was  commenting  on  his  growth,  when  Mr.  Palmer 
asked  Gully  if  they  could  assist  him  with  his  horses, 
if  not  they  would  go  on  as  they  wished  to  over 
take  the  other  car  in  the  village  just  ahead. 

Gully  assured  him  that  he  could  manage  the  team, 
and  with  the  promise  that  "we  will  see  you  to-morrow 
or  the  next  day,"  Mr.  Palmer  and  Dugan  entered  the 
car,  and  proceeded  on  their  journey. 

Travis  Gully  watched  them  as  they  disappeared 
down  the  road  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  and  wondered  what 
motive  could  be  bringing  them  back  to  the  land  on 
which  they  had  already  lost  so  heavily,  but,  with  the 
hope  that  they  probably  had  some  information  rela 
tive  to  the  irrigation  project  that  had  now  almost 
become  a  forgotten  subject,  he  place  Joe  back  on 
the  wagon  and  climbing  back  to  his  own  seat,  spoke 
to  the  horses  and  drove  on  to  the  village,  with  his 
load  of  hay. 

Travis  Gully  had  prospered,  and  his  dream  of  a 
home  just  as  he  wanted  it,  was  fully  realized.  He 
had  not  developed  all  of  his  land,  because  the  original 
forty  acres  upon  which  he  had  pumped  water  from 
his  well,  had  proven  so  productive  that  it  was  more 
than  he  could  handle  alone,  so  he  did  not  see  the 
necessity  of  developing  more. 

His  home,  as  it  was,  seemed  an  ideal  place.  The 
trees  which  he  had  planted  at  the  root  of  which  he 


196  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

had  burried  tin  cans,  were  now  affording  ample  shade 
and  serving  the  purpose  of  a  wind  break  for  his 
house — not  that  the  wind  had  any  terror  for  him 
now.  It  did  not  harm  him  now  as  he  had  mastered 
the  situation  and  was  reaping  the  reward  of  his 
perseverence. 

He  could  now  gratify  his  cherished  ambition  for 
nice  horses  and  his  alfalfa  fields  and  paddocks  were 
the  play  grounds  for  some  beautiful  colts  he  was 
raising.  Numerous  cattle  roamed  at  large  over  the 
open  sagebrush  range,  and  fattened  on  the  succu 
lent  bunch  grass,  coming  daily  to  the  Gully  home 
for  water.  They  all  bore  the  Gully  brand  and  were 
a  source  of  income  to  him. 

His  wife  and  family  were  happy,  and  retained 
their  health  as  all  those  who  lived  in  this  favored 
country  did.  Ida  was  now  a  finished  young  lady.  She 
had  gone  to  school  in  one  of  the  coast  cities,  a  school, 
the  selection  of  which  had  been  left  to  Miss  Ander 
son,  who  had  accompanied  her  during  her  first 
term. 

Jack  Norton  had  fulfilled  his  threat  made  the 
morning  after  the  storm  three  years  before,  to  in 
stall  a  pumping  plant  on  his  place,  and  under  the 
guidance  of  Gully  was  doing  well.  Miss  Anderson, 
though  never  having  put  down  a  well,  was  residing 
on  her  claim,  and  with  what  she  earned  teaching  the 
little  school,  was  comfortable  and  happy.  The  main 
source  of  her  happiness,  however,  was  in  watching 
the  course  of  the  lives  of  Jack  and  Ida,  there  was 
no  longer  any  doubt  or  secret  of  their  devotion  to  each 
other.  It  had  come  about  as  naturally  as  the  other 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  197 

changes  had  come,  and  was  looked  upon  as  a  matter 
of  course.  There  had  been  no  ardent  wooing,  no 
rivals  with  which  to  contend,  just  a  companionship 
that  had  grown  dearer  as  the  year  passed,  and  the 
time  for  its  final  culmination  in  a  marriage  had  been 
set  for  the  coming  Holiday  season. 

Minnie  Gully  was  happy.  She  had  never  known 
that  such  happiness  was  possible.  She  o'nly  asked  for 
one  other  blessing  and  that  was  that  her  parents 
would  come  and  share  their  home.  She  and  Travis 
had  written  repeatedly,  making  this  request,  but 
always  the  same  answer  came  from  the  old  people. 
They  felt  that  they  were  too  old  to  make  the  change, 
and  wanted  to  spend  their  remaining  days  among  the 
surroundings  they  had  known  so  long. 

When  Travis  Gully  returned  from  the  village  on 
the  evening  of  the  day  that  he  had  come  so  unexpect 
edly  upon  Mr.  Palmer  and  Dugan  as  they  were  pass 
ing  in  the  car,  he  eagerly  told  of  what  had  happened, 
and  upon  his  telling  his  listening  family  of  their  in 
tended  visit  to  the  company's  land  within  the  next 
few  days,  they  all  expressed  their  satisfaction  at  the 
changed  conditions  that  would  enable  them  to  extend 
to  the  visitors  the  hospitality  that  they  had  been 
denied  on  their  former  visit. 

Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida,  with  true  feminine  instinct, 
immediately  began  to  plan,  and  offer  suggestions  for 
the  most  befitting  way  in  which  to  entertain.  In 
this  they  were  at  a  disadvantage,  as  they  did  not 
know  whether  they  intended  to  make  a  visit  of  sev 
eral  days,  or  would  return  immediately  after  looking 
over  the  land.  In  any  event,  they  decided  that  they 


198  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

would  prepare  for  them  one  splendid  meal,  the 
material  used  in  the  preparation  of  this  meal  should 
be  from  the  products  of  their  desert  home,  and  with 
an  unlimited  supply  of  fresh  eggs,  young  and  tender 
fowls,  vegetables  and  milk  and  butter,  the  feast 
promised  to  be  a  bounteous  one. 

In  the  mean  time  Joe  had  recalled  the  fact  that 
Mr.  Dugan  promised  him  a  ride  in  the  automobile, 
an  experience  he  had  never  enjoyed,  and  he  was 
excitedly  telling  his  sisters  how  much  faster  it  ran 
than  Daisy  his  pony  could  go. 

The  morning  after  Gully  had  brought  the  news 
of  the  probable  coming  of  the  party  he  went  to 
Jack  Norton's  to  acquaint  him  of  the  fact  and  he 
and  Jack  discussed  the  probable  cause  of  their  visit, 
and  agreed  that  it  must  be  for  the  purpose  of  irri 
gation,  as  they  had  never  attempted  to  cultivate  the 
land  since  the  first  year  that  had  proven  such  a 
dismal  failure.  So  they  decided  to  get  together  that 
evening  and  prepare  a  concise  statement  of  their  ex 
periences  and  methods  that  would  contain  all  the  in 
formation  for  which  the  land  owners  would  probably 
ask. 

For  Gully  and  Norton  this  would  be  a  compara 
tively  easy  task,  for  they  had  kept  an  accurate  record 
of  the  items  that  effected  the  peculiar  conditions  in 
the  locality  in  which  they  lived,  and  had  applied  them 
in  a  manner  that  had  been  very  largely  responsible 
for  the  success  they  had  attained.  The  accumulation 
of  this  data,  such  as  the  varieties  of  seed  to  be  used, 
time  for  planting  and  the  conditions  under  which 
water  should  be  applied  to  the  land  had  been  brought 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  199 

about  by  the  introduction  into  their  literary  society, 
which  still  held  regular  meeting,  of  the  reading  week 
ly  of  a  paper  prepared  by  some  homesteader  as  an 
educational  feature. 

Miss  Anderson  was  also  told  of  the  return  to 
the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Palmer  and  Mr.  Dugan, 
and  returned  from  school  with  the  children  that 
afternoon  to  learn  more  of  their  coming. 

And  when  young  Norton  drove  over  to  the  Gully 
home  after  supper  that  evening,  his  arrival  completed 
the  circle  of  faces  that  had  gathered  at  the  same 
place  on  the  day  of  the  surveyors  departure  three 
years  before,  and  the  thought  that  was  uppermost 
in  the  minds  of  those  present  was:  "What  will  they 
think  of  the  change  that  has  been  wrought?" 

It  was  agreed  that  should  the  party  of  visitors 
arrive  the  following  day,  and  their  arrival  could  be 
plainly  noted  from  both  the  school  house  and  Norton's 
home,  Jack  was  to  come  over  immediately  and  Miss 
Anderson  was  to  accompany  the  children  home.  After 
plans  for  their  reception  had  been  completed,  Jack 
with  Miss  Anderson  accompanying  him  in  his  buggy, 
left  the  Gullys,  and  after  seeing  her  safely  home, 
the  night  being  fine,  Jack  drove  for  several  miles 
along  the  dusty  road  in  the  bright  moonlight,  and  as 
he  allowed  the  horse  to  choose  his  own  gait,  he 
took  no  notice  of  his  surroundings  or  the  distance  he 
had  come. 

He  wondered  to  himself  what  motive  had  prompt 
ed  his  actions,  he  might  have  remained  at  Gully's  and 
spent  a  happy  hour  or  more  with  Ida  and  plan  for 
the  future  with  her,  as  was  their  custom  when  to 
gether.  But  tonight  he  wanted  to  be  alone. 


200  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

The  announcement  of  the  unexpected  return  of 
Palmer  and  Dugan  had  recalled  his  experience  with 
these  men  on  the  first  day  they  had  met  at  the 
hotel  and  he  smiled  as  he  thought  of  the  opportunity 
it  had  afforded  him  to  match  wits  with  them,  and 
the  satisfaction  he  had  derived  from  the  occurance. 

Since  their  departure  he  had  not  allowed  his 
mind  to  be  diverted  from  his  one  purpose,  the  subdu 
ing  of  the  desert  sands  and  the  forcing  of  the  land 
to  yield  as  his  analysis  of  it  had  proven  it  capable  of 
doing.  He  had,  on  two  occasions  during  the  past 
two  years,  accompanied  the  Professor  on  a  trip  to 
the  Grand  Coulee  and  had  spent  days  of  delightful 
research  that  had  resulted  in  more  firmly  convincing 
him  that  the  country  as  a  whole  was  a  wonderland. 

But  this  night,  while  alone  on  the  desert,  driving 
aimlessly  along  a  most  miserable  road,  his  mind 
would  dwell  on  his  old  home,  on  his  past,  and  his  old 
Dad,  whose  only  child  he  was,  of  how  he  had  left 
and  had  now  for  over  four  years,  kept  his  where 
abouts  a  secret,  just  to  satisfy  a  hastily  made  resolve 
to  make  proper  restitution  for  a  boyish  prank.  Now 
that  he  was  in  a  position  to  make  good  this  resolution, 
another  factor  had  come  into  his  life — Ida  Gully. 

At  the  thought  of  Ida,  Norton's  blood  tingled, 
and  tightening  up  his  reins  suddenly,  stopped  his 
horse.  "I  am  foolish,"  he  said  to  himself.  "I  must 
return  and  get  some  rest,"  and  turning  his  horses 
head  toward  home,  thought  how  proudly  he  would 
stand  by  Ida's  side  and  receive  congratulations  of 
Palmer  and  Dugan  for  they  should  know  of  their 
engagement,  and  he  would  watch  with  pleasure,  the 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  201 

expressions  of  astonishment  their  faces  would  betray 
when  they  noted  the  stately  bearing  she  had  acquired, 
and  heard  with  what  grace  and  ease  of  manner  she 
acknowledged  their  expressed  wishes  for  her  future 
happiness. 

Reaching  his  home  Jack  cared  for  his  horse,  and 
going  into  the  house  saw  that  it  was  almost  midnight. 
He  smiled  and  said,  "Quite  a  visit  I  have  had  with 
myself,"  and  lost  no  time  in  retiring. 

Owing  to  the  expected  arrival  of  the  strangers  and 
the  part  he  was  to  have  in  their  entertainment,  Jack 
had  not  planned  any  work  for  the  morrow,  so  he  lay 
and  rested  the  following  morning,  much  longer  than 
was  his  custom.  Upon  arising,  he  went  leisurely 
about  preparing  his  breakfast.  After  eating  he 
attended  to  his  horses,  and  left  the  barn  door  open 
so  that  all  except  his  driver  could  go  at  will  into  the 
alfalfa  field.  Returning  to  the  house  he  dressed  more 
carefully  than  usual,  for  he  realized  that  the  Gullys, 
whose  real  guest  he  was  to  be  on  this  occasion, 
would  put  forth  exceptional  efforts  in  honor  of  the 
strangers  arrival.  His  toilet  completed  to  his  satis 
faction,  he  concluded  that  he  would  drive  over  to 
Gullys,  in  advance  of  the  arrival  of  the  party,  and 
have  an  opportunity  to  explain  to  Ida  his  hasty 
departure  of  the  night  before,  feeling  that  his  ap 
pearance  a  little  ahead  of  time  would  not  be  a  breech 
of  etiquette  under  the  circumstances. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  the  Gully  home,  he  found 
the  family  assembled  out  in  the  yard,  looking  in  the 
direction  of  the  village  a  few  miles  out  from  which, 


202  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

along  the  Scenic  Highway  could  be  distinctly  seen  the 
dust  being  raised  in  clouds  by  two  moving  objects. 

Travis  Gully  turned  at  Jack's  approach  and  point 
ed  in  the  direction  of  the  moving  objects,  and  re 
marked:  "Guess  they  are  coming,  all  right."  Jack 
answered  that  he  supposed  it  was  them,  and  bidding 
Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida  good-morning,  approached  Ida, 
and  taking  her  by  the  hand  led  her  into  the  house. 

Gully  upon  noticing  that  Jack  had  left  his  horse 
tied  where  the  automobiles  would  probably  be  driven, 
and  fearing  that  he  might  become  frightened,  took 
him  to  the  barn,  and  after  seeing  that  he  was  cared 
for,  was  just  returning  to  the  house  as  the  first  of 
the  cars  came  up  the  driveway  that  led  to  his  gate. 

Gully  went  out  to  meet  them  and  recognizing 
Palmer  and  Dugan  as  the  occupants  beside  whom  a 
stranger  sat.  As  they  drove  up  and  greeted  him  and 
introduced  the  third  member  of  the  party,  Gully  in 
vited  them  to  get  out  and  await  the  arrival  of  the 
other  car,  and  then  go  into  the  house.  This  they  did, 
and  as  the  driver  of  the  car  prepared  to  move  ahead 
to  make  room,  he,  through  force  of  habit  no  doubt, 
sounded  his  horn. 

Jack  Norton,  who  was  still  in  the  house,  was 
startled  by  the  familiar  sound  of  the  auto  horn. 
It  was  the  first  intimation  of  their  arrival  he  had 
been  given,  so  busy  was  he  talking  to  Mrs.  Gully 
and  Ida.  Being  anxious  to  greet  Mr.  Palmer  and 
Dugan,  he  asked  the  ladies  to  excuse  him  and  went 
immediately  out  to  the  group  of  men  who  had  now 
entered  the  yard.  Recognizing  his  acquaintances 
he  approached  them  with  outstretched  hand  and  was 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  203 

laughing  and  chatting.  As  the  second  car  drove  up 
and  stopped,  he  turned  slightly  and  seeing  Gully 
approach  to  welcome  them,  continued  his  conversation 
with  Dugan. 

The  clicking  of  the  latch  on  the  gate,  after  the 
party  had  entered,  reminded  him  that  it  was  time 
for  him  to  meet  the  new  comer,  and  as  he  started 
to  turn,  someone  remarked:  "You  have  a  nice  place 
here,  Mr.  Gully."  Jack  Norton's  face  blanched,  and 
the  words  of  greeting  stuck  in  his  throat,  for  just 
one  instant,  and  turning  quickly  around  with  a  cry 
of  "Dad,"  stood  face  to  face  with  his  father. 

The  elder  Norton  stopped  as  if  paralyzed,  but  in 
stantly  recovering  exclaimed,  "Jack,  my  boy,"  seized 
Jack  in  his  arms  and  pressing  his  head  back,  the 
father  brushed  Jack's  hat  from  his  head  and  pushing 
his  hair  back,  began  rumpling  and  towseling  it,  just 
as  he  was  wont  to  do  when  Jack  was  a  small  boy. 
Then  recovering  himself,  glanced  behind  him  as  if  in 
search  of  some  thing,  and  simply  said,  "I  must  sit 
down." 

Jack  Norton  and  Mr.  Palmer  assisted  the  old 
gentleman  to  the  house,  where  they  were  met  by 
Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida,  who  had  witnessed  the  meeting 
of  Jack  and  his  father,  but  not  understanding  the 
meaning  of  the  strange  proceedings,  had  started  to 
come  out,  thinking  something  was  wrong.  They 
had  only  reached  the  door  when  they  met  Jack  and 
Mr.  Palmer,  and  returned  to  prepare  a  comfortable 
place  for  the  stricken  old  gentleman  they  were  sup 
porting  between  them. 


204  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

Ida,  immediately  sensing  that  the  occurrance  had 
in  some  way  materially  affected  Jack  went,  as  soon 
as  the  old  gentleman  was  comfortably  seated,  to 
Jack,  and  placing  her  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  in 
quired  what  was  wrong.  Jack  laughingly  assured 
her  and  told  her  that  everything  was  far  from  being 
wrong,  that  the  old  gentleman  was  his  father,  and 
that  they  had  met  by  the  merest  chance,  adding 
that  he  would  explain  in  a  few  moments,  as  soon 
as  he  was  assured  that  his  father  was  all  right. 

Mrs.  Gully  hastily  secured  a  glass  of  cold  water, 
which  revived  the  old  gentleman,  and  the  rest  of 
the  party  came  in  with  Travis  Gully  and  Mr.  Dugan. 
Introductions  immediately  followed  the  entrance  into 
the  room  of  the  strangers,  and  as  Mr.  Norton  had 
sufficiently  recovered  to  be  able  to  arise,  he  went  to 
where  Jack  and  Ida  were  standing,  and  with  an 
amused  twinkle  in  his  eyes  asked  of  his  son:  "Am 
I  entitled  to  an  introduction  to  this  estimable  young 
lady,  Jack?"  Jack  was  plainly  embarrassed  by  his 
thoughtlessness  in  not  having  taken  Ida  to  his  father 
at  first,  and  introduced  his  father  to  her,  with 
apologies  for  his  oversight. 

The  occurrance  had  taken  place  in  so  short  a 
time  and  so  unexpectedly  that  the  importance  of  it, 
except  to  Jack  and  his  father,  had  not  had  time  to 
impress  those  present. 

Travis  Gully  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  the 
situation,  but  felt  sure  that  an  explanation  would  be 
given  in  due  time.  His  wife's  greatest  concern  was 
that  the  excellent  dinner  which  she  had  prepared  for 
the  expected  guests  was  in  a  fair  way  of  being 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  205 

spoiled  by  the  delay  caused  by  the  occurrance.  The 
simple  fact  of  Jack  and  his  father  having  met  after 
an  extended  separation  did  not  impress  her  as  being 
very  extraordinary.  As  for  Ida,  she  realized  fully 
the  meaning  of  the  happening,  but  did  not  take 
into  account  the  probable  effect  it  would  have  on 
the  future  as  far  as  she  and  Jack  were  concerned. 
She  had  noticed,  however,  that  Jack  had  introduced 
her  to  his  father  as  Miss  Gully  instead  of  Ida,  and 
in  her  simplicity  she  had  not  known  that  he  had 
but  conformed  to  the  usages  of  polite  society.  She 
had  never  heard  him  speak  of  her  as  Miss  Gully 
except  in  jest,  and  she  was  annoyed. 

The  party  of  strangers,  accompanied  by  Gully 
and  Jack,  the  latter  clinging  to  his  father's  arm, 
had  again  gone  out  in  the  yard  and  were  admiring 
the  beautiful  scenery  of  the  mountains  that  could 
be  seen  at  an  advantage  at  the  noon  hour  under 
the  bright  glare  of  the  fall  sunlight. 

Jack  and  his  father  stood  apart  from  the  rest, 
and  Jack  was  pointing  with  apparent  pride  in  the 
direction  of  his  place,  while  his  father  stood  in  an 
attitude  of  listening  to  his  evident  enthusiasm. 


206  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Burns  Norton,  Jack's  father,  was  of  Irish  descent, 
and  had  been  born  and  raised  in  the  south.  His 
father,  who  had  been  a  prominent  cotton  broker 
before  the  war,  had  amassed  a  fortune  that  consisted 
principally  of  stocks  and  bonds,  with  occasional  bits 
of  land  scattered  throughout  various  southern  states, 
that  had  been  acquired  by  him  through  deals  of 
such  magnitude  that  frequently  the  land  was  absorbed 
and  reverted  to  him  in  lieu  of  cash  that  he  had  ad 
vanced  to  his  clients. 

The  war  was  the  cause  of  the  loss  of  the  fortune 
thus  acquired,  and  the  elder  Norton,  Jack's  grand 
father,  had  died  soon  after  its  close  a  poor  man, 
having  turned  over  to  those  who  had  tried  to  help 
him  survive  these  strenuous  times  all  the  property, 
real  and  personal,  that  he  possessed.  Among  the 
tracts  of  land  thus  acquired  was  one  which  consisted 
of  several  hundred  acres  situated  in  what  was  known 
as  the  Panhandle,  in  Texas,  then  arid  and  considered 
worthless  except  for  range  purposes. 

When  he  had  turned  the  deed  to  this  over  to 
his  creditors,  the  board  of  appraisers  handed  it  back 
with  the  remark:  "That  is  too  far  away.  It  is 
Valueless  and  we  will  not  take  it  into  consideration," 
and  then  added:  "Put  it  away  for  your  boy;  it  may 
be  worth  something  by  the  time  he  is  a  man." 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  207 

Burns  Norton  was  just  past  fifteen  when  his 
father  joined  his  mother,  who  had  never  recovered 
from  the  shock  sustained  when  their  fortune  was 
lost,  and  with  this  tract  of  barren  waste  land,  covered 
with  curly  mosquito  grass,  as  his  only  property  in 
heritance,  he  was  set  adrift  in  the  world. 

He  accompanied  a  party  of  human  derelicts,  who 
drifted  hither  and  thither  during  the  reconstruction 
days  following  the  close  of  the  war,  and  finally 
landed  in  Texas,  where  he  worked  on  a  stock  ranch, 
and  rode  the  old  Santa  Fe  Trail  from  Quanah,  Texas, 
to  Topeka,  Kansas,  for  years.  As  time  passed,  and 
the  Fort  Worth  &  Denver  Railroad  was  being  con 
structed,  it  passed  through  this  land  of  Norton's. 
He  had  never  mentioned  the  fact  that  he  owned  the 
land  to  any  one,  and  it  had  been  fenced  as  a  part 
of  an  immense  pasture,  and  when  he  went  to  the 
owners  of  this  pasture  and  demanded  that  his  land 
be  thrown  outside  by  the  removal  of  their  fence, 
they  questioned  his  right  to  the  land.  Young  Norton 
had  no  difficulty  in  proving  his  ownership,  and  went 
immediately  to  work  improving  it,  and  from  this 
start  sprung  the  immense  wealth  he  now  controlled. 
It  was  this  experience  that  had  prompted  his  invest 
ment  in  the  land  he  had  come  to  inspect  at  the  time 
he  discovered  his  lost  son  Jack,  living  over  the  life 
that  he  had  led  when  he  was  Jack's  age,  and  he 
understood  where  the  adventurous  disposition  had 
originated,  and  he  did  not  blame  the  boy.  In  fact, 
he  had  never  blamed  Jack  for  anything.  He  had 
been  an  indulgent  father,  and  even  now  he  was  grati 
fied  by  the  boy's  spirit,  and  although  he  felt  that 
he  had  been  badly  treated  he  did  not  reproach  him. 


208  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

Mrs.  Gully  came  to  the  door  and  called  to  her 
husband  that  dinner  was  ready,  and  he  invited  his 
guests  to  come  in.  Mr.  Palmer  and  Dugan,  who  felt 
more  at  home  than  the  rest,  answered  the  summons 
promptly,  and  as  they  were  passing  the  well  they 
noticed  a  barrel  of  fresh  cold  water  which  stood 
temptingly  near,  and  jokingly  called  to  Mrs.  Gully 
that  if  she  would  provide  them  with  a  towel  they 
thought  they  would  enjoy  washing  outside  as  they 
had  done  on  their  former  visit. 

Ida  brought  them  towels  and  tin  basins,  and 
the  entire  party  prepared  themselves  for  their  dinner 
at  the  well  while  Gully  explained  the  workings  of  his 
pumping  plant. 

Jack  and  his  father  were  the  last  to  come  to  the 
well,  and  as  Mr.  Norton  splashed  his  face  with  an 
abundance  of  cold  water  he  laughingly  told  Jack  that 
he  did  not  blame  him  for  being  so  enthusiastic  about 
the  country  if  that  was  a  fair  sample  of  their  water, 
"for,"  declared  he,  "although  it  seems  to  have  been 
sitting  here  for  quite  a  while,  it  is  still  sparkling 
and  cool." 

Jack  assured  him  that  he  had  never  seen  or 
heard  of  a  bad  well  of  water  in  the  country.  Going 
into  the  house,  they  were  seated  at  their  dinners, 
while  Mrs.  Gully  and  Ida  served.  It  was  a  revela 
tion  to  these  tired  business  men,  this  good  wholesome 
food,  that  had  been  brought  fresh  from  the  soil  and 
cool  pantry  and  served  in  the  simplest  homelike  man 
ner,  and  they  did  justice  to  Mrs.  Gully's  and  her 
daughter's  culinary  art  by  eating  most  heartily. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  209 

After  the  meal  was  finished,  Mr.  Norton  called 
to  Jack  and  told  him  to  look  in  the  front  of  the  car 
in  which  he  had  come  and  bring  him  the  small 
satchel  that  bore  his  name  on  the  tag.  Jack  secured 
the  satchel,  and  upon  his  return  and  handing  it  to 
his  father,  the  latter  took  from  it  a  box  of  cigars, 
and  after  passing  them  around  said  that  if  the  ladies 
had  no  objections,  they  would  visit  a  while,  and  post 
pone  their  trip  to  the  land.  "You  see,"  he  con 
tinued,  "with  the  discovery  of  this  young  rascal," 
with  a  fond  look  at  Jack,  "there  has  been  a  great 
burden  relieved  from  my  mind,  and  I  want  to  enjoy 
it  in  my  own  way,  for  there  is  no  dependence  to  be 
put  in  his  next  move." 

Mrs.  Gully  replied  that  she  would  be  pleased  to 
have  Mr.  Norton  feel  enough  at  home  to  choose  his 
own  method  of  celebrating  the  restoration  of  his 
son,  but  she  did  feel  that  she  must  protest  the  re 
marks  about  Jack,  for  they  had  always  found  him 
a  most  dependable  young  man. 

The  old  gentleman  smiled  at  her  defense  of  Jack, 
while  that  young  worthy  arose  from  his  seat,  and 
with  mock  gravity  thanked  her  for  her  effort  in  his 
behalf,  and  turning  to  his  father,  quoted: 

"I  stand  at  the  bar  of  justice, 

Condemned  in  the  cause  that  you  plead; 

My  only  defense  the  simple  request 
That  you  judge  by  the  motive,  not  deed." 

Mr.  Norton,  now  in  the  best  of  spirits,  turned  to 
those  present  and  asked:  "Shall  we  listen  to  his 


210  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

plea?"  A  chorus  of  voices  exclaimed:  "Go  ahead; 
let's  have  the  story." 

It  was  a  trying  moment  for  Jack  Norton.  He  had 
not  expected  events  to  take  this  turn,  but  he  saw 
that  his  father  expected  an  explanation  of  his  con 
duct,  and  there  was  no  alternative.  It  must  be  made 
in  the  presence  of  those  who  had  assembled  at  the 
home  of  his  dearest  friends,  the  Gullys,  and  he  knew 
that  in  view  of  the  relations  that  existed  between 
him  and  the  family,  an  explanation  was  due. 

Withdrawing  his  chair  from  the  table,  he  placed 
it  conveniently  near  for  Mrs.  Gully  to  be  seated  by 
her  husband,  and  securing  a  seat  for  Ida,  he  stood 
directly  facing  her  and  began  the  recital  of  his  story. 

"I  do  not  know,"  he  began,  "that  it  was  Dad's 
original  intention  that  I  should  inflict  upon  you  inno 
cent  persons  present  a  recital  of  my  boyish  prank 
that  has  resulted  in  this  self  imposed  exile  for  the 
past  four  years,  and  I  wish  to  impress  on  your 
minds  before  I  enter  into  details  that  I  am  not 
making  a  plea  for  sympathy  or  setting  up  a  plea  of 
extenuating  circumstances. 

"For  the  suffering  that  I  have  caused  him  I  am 
sorry,  and  I  too  have  suffered.  No  one  will  ever 
know  the  hours  of  torturing  remorse  and  regret 
through  which  I  have  passed.  My  own  sufferings 
I  have  borne,  I  hope,  with  fortitude,  as  will  no 
doubt  be  attested  to  by  my  very  dear  friends,  the 
Gully  family,  who  have  never  heard  me  mention  in 
the  slightest  way  my  affairs,  and  who  have  been 
most  considerate  of  my  feelings  in  not  asking,  as 
they  had  a  perfect  right  to  do,  for  any  information 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  211 

relative  to  myself  or  family,  and  for  this  evidence 
of  their  faith  in  me  I  wish  to  thank  them  most 
heartily. 

"With  the  circumstances  attending  my  leaving 
him,  Dad  is  thoroughly  familiar.  I  had  just  returned 
from  the  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  of 
which  my  home  state,  Texas,  is  justly  proud,  and 
had  joined  him  in  Galveston,  where  he  had  moved 
his  family  to  reside  permanently  after  his  retire 
ment  from  the  land  and  stock  business,  and  at  which 
place  my  poor  mother  lost  her  life  at  the  time  of 
the  disastrous  tidal  wave  which  almost  destroyed 
the  city. 

"Dad,  at  the  time  of  the  terrible  occurrance,  had 
gone  on  a  short  trip  to  the  northern  part  of  the 
state  to  look  after  business  interests,  as  he  frequently 
did.  Why  I  escaped  and  was  not  taken  with  my 
mother  I  never  could  understand,  but  by  some  caprice 
I  was  saved  and  cared  for  as  an  'unknown*  until 
Dad  returned,  which  he  did  as  quickly  as  he  could. 

"After  a  search  which  lasted  for  days  I  was 
finally  located  by  Dad,  who  has  always  been  a  most 
kind  and  indulgent  father.  Upon  this  occasion  of 
my  return  from  college,  the  event  being  my  twenty- 
first  birthday,  I  found  him  in  a  most  generous  mood, 
ready  to  grant  my  every  wish.  He  took  me  to  his 
office,  he  having  resumed  business  activities  after 
the  loss  of  my  mother,  and  led  me  through  the 
various  departments  and  told  me  that  he  was  anxious 
to  take  me  in  with  him  and  have  me  become  familiar 
with  his  affairs,  that  I  might  succeed  him,  as  he 
was  growing  old. 


212  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

"I  thanked  him  for  this  generous  offer,  but  being 
imbued  with  the  idea  that  I  was  a  thorough  yachts 
man,  I  changed  the  subject  and  began  teasing  him 
to  let  me  take  his  yacht,  the  'Magnolia,'  for  a  few 
days'  cruise  with  some  half  dozen  of  my  boy  friends. 

"The  'Magnolia'  was  a  handsome  craft,  thoroughly 
equipped  and  furnished  to  accommodate  ten  or  a 
dozen  passengers,  and  as  her  crew  usually  consisted 
of  three  men,  I  had  planned  to  take  her  out  alone, 
with  my  friends  as  helpers,  making  two  watches, 
there  being  six  of  us,  and  we  would  cruise  to  the 
coast  of  Mexico  and  return  in  about  ten  days. 

"The  yacht  was  Dad's  special  pride  and  his  only 
recreation,  and  he  had  bought  and  fitted  her  up  at 
a  very  great  expense.  He  had  interests  at  various 
points  along  the  coast  and  in  Cuba,  and  this  was 
his  means  of  combining  pleasure  and  business,  by 
visiting  these  interests  twice  a  year.  I  had  accom 
panied  him  on  all  these  trips,  as  he  arranged  to 
make  them  during  my  vacation  from  school  or  college, 
and  I  felt  that  I  was  capable  of  taking  her  out  and 
returning  her  to  her  slip  on  the  strand  in  perfect 
safety. 

"But  Dad  did  not  think  so  and  told  me  I  had 
better  wait  and  accompany  him  later,  at  which  time 
he  would  be  pleased  to  entertain  my  friends  on  the 
cruise.  This  did  not  suit  me,  and  right  here  I 
blame  Dad  for  not  being  more  firm  with  me.  At 
any  rate,  he  finally  consented  to  let  me  have  the 
yacht,  but  I  was  to  take  her  regular  crew  to  man 
her.  This  I  agreed  to  do,  but  did  so  reluctantly. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  213 

"Dad  gave  me  an  order  to  the  watchman  on 
board  to  have  her  provisioned  for  a  ten  days'  trip, 
and  to  be  made  ready  for  sailing  the  following 
Monday,  at  which  time  she  was  to  be  turned  over 
to  me.  Thanking  him,  I  hurried  to  the  slip  and 
gave  the  watchman  Dad's  orders.  He  took  it,  and 
after  reading  saluted,  and  with  the  familiar  'Aye, 
Aye,  Sir/  sounding  in  my  ears,  I  left  him. 

"It  was  then  Thursday,  and  I  had  ample  time  to 
look  up  the  members  of  my  party  and  acquaint  them 
with  the  success  of  my  appeal  to  Dad.  There  was 
one  among  those  who  accompanied  me  on  this  mem 
orable  trip  with  whom  I  hope  I  may  never  come  in 
contact.  When  I  told  him  of  the  conditions  under 
which  Dad  had  given  me  permission  to  use  the 
yacht,  he  laughed  and  said:  That's  easy;  just  forget 
to  call  her  crew,  and  we'll  take  her  out  alone/  and 
I,  feeling  my  newly  attained  manhood,  answered: 
'I'll  attend  to  that;  just  you  be  ready  at  the  appointed 
time/  and  left  him.  But  the  seed  had  been  sown 
that  finally  grew  and  produced  the  bitterest  fruit  I 
or  any  other  misguided  lad  could  ever  taste. 

"I  never  mentioned  the  fact  to  the  rest  of  the 
boys  that  we  were  supposed  to  have  others  than 
ourselves  aboard,  as  I  knew  there  were  those  among 
them  who  would  have  refused  to  accompany  me 
unless  Dad's  requirements  were  complied  with. 

"Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  I  did  not  call 
the  crew,  and  as  Dad  was  called  away  to  St.  Louis 
the  Saturday  before  we  were  to  sail  he  never  knew 
of  my  failure  to  do  so  until  after  it  was  too  late. 
I  went  with  him  to  the  station  as  he  was  leaving,  and 


214  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

he  took  my  hand  and  wished  me  a  pleasant  voyage, 
and  handing  me  a  generous  check,  he  added:  'I  shall 
expect  you  here  on  my  return;  be  careful,  Jack. 
Goodbye/  and  that  was  the  last  time  I  saw  or  heard 
from  him  until  a  few  hours  ago. 

"We  left  the  following  Monday  morning,  and  I 
will  never  forget  the  feeling  of  importance  I  exper 
ienced  as  the  yacht  drew  out  from  her  slip  at  the 
end  of  a  hawser  and  was  towed  out  into  the  bay 
by  a  noisy  little  steam  tug  which  I  had  employed 
for  the  purpose.  I  knew  that  I  was  disobeying  Dad, 
but  felt  perfectly  sure  of  myself,  and  I  had  those 
among  my  party  who  were  well  experienced  in 
sailing;  besides,  Dad  was  gone  and  would  not  return 
until  we  had  completed  our  cruise.  Then  I  would 
tell  him  of  what  I  had  done,  how  successfully  I  had 
managed  the  'Magnolia'  and  he  would  feel  proud  of 
me. 

"When  we  were  well  out  into  the  bay  they  let 
go  the  hawser  and  the  little  craft  began  to  ride  the 
swells.  It  was  but  a  moment's  work  to  run  up  a 
bit  of  canvas  that  soon  picked  up  the  breeze,  and 
rounding  to,  we  headed  for  Boliver  Point  Light, 
that  marked  the  outlet  to  the  Gulf,  and  as  we  entered 
the  channel  through  which  the  huge  ocean  going 
vessels  gained  entrance  to  the  bay,  we  navigated  our 
craft  successfully,  and  passed  several  of  these,  besides 
numerous  tugs,  lighters  and  revenue  cutters,  and 
this  fact  but  convinced  us  more  thoroughly  of  our 
ability  as  seamen. 

"I  had  not  taken  the  helm  yet,  but  at  the  request 
of  one  of  my  guests  whom  I  knew  to  be  an  exper- 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  215 

ienoed  yachtsman,  had  allowed  him  to  see  us  safely 
through  the  narrows  that  lay  between  Boliver  Point 
and  the  Jetties.  After  clearing  the  channel  and 
entering  the  gulf  proper  I  relieved  my  friend,  and 
taking  the  helm,  steered  directly  south,  a  course  that 
almost  parallelled  the  Galveston  Island,  but  as  the 
miles  increased  the  distance  from  the  southern  end 
of  the  island  became  so  great  that  we  were  almost 
in  the  path  of  the  South  American  liners. 

"We  were  having  a  splendid  time,  and  as  the 
breeze  was  favorable,  we  decided  to  put  into  a  little 
coast  town  whose  buildings  could  be  plainly  seen 
glistening  in  the  bright  sunlight  far  ahead  on  the 
main  land.  We  made  this  port,  and  after  going 
ashore  for  a  few  hours,  decided  to  follow  the  coast, 
laying  close  in,  and  to  put  into  the  next  village,  Port 
Lavaca,  where  we  would  tie  up  for  the  night. 

"I  will  not  undertake  to  describe  our  trip,  with 
its  many  stops  and  things  of  interest  that  we  came 
in  contact  with  at  these  quaint  little  settlements, 
half  Mexican  and  half  American,  that  lined  the  Gulf 
shore. 

"Passing  over  the  next  two  days  of  our  cruise, 
we  arrived  at  Matagorda  Bay,  and  being  desirous 
of  visiting  the  point  at  the  extreme  inner  end  of  the 
bay,  where  the  little  village  of  Indianola  had  been 
almost  completely  destroyed  by  the  great  tidal  wave, 
we  put  in  at  the  entrance  and  spent  the  night  at  the 
town  of  Matagorda,  intending  to  visit  the  scene  of 
the  devastated  village  the  following  day. 

"In  this  we  were  disappointed,  for  during  the 
night  a  terrific  gulf  storm  came  up,  and  it  became 
so  severe  before  morning  that  we  were  compelled 


216  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

to  abandon  our  berths  aboard  the  yacht  and  go 
ashore.  The  next  two  days  brought  no  signs  of 
an  abatement  of  the  storm,  and  we  were  advised  not 
to  venture  out  until  a  more  favorable  time.  Two 
days  in  this  little  fishing  village  caused  us  to  lose 
interest  in  its  novelty,  and  to  a  very  great  degree 
cooled  our  ardor  and  inclination  to  continue  the  trip. 

"The  third  day  was  very  much  better,  and  we 
decided  to  abandon  our  trip  and  return  home,  and 
as  the  force  of  the  storm  decreased  in  its  severity, 
we  started  immediately  after  noon,  intending  to 
round  the  point  of  Matagorda  Peninsula  before 
night  and  put  into  the  first  harbor  we  could  make 
on  the  leeward  side. 

"We  experienced  no  difficulty  in  getting  well  under 
way  in  the  Bay,  although  the  wind  was  against  us, 
and  by  beating  up  first  the  inland  shore  and  by 
tacking  back  and  forth,  we  reached  the  point  just 
at  dusk,  but  we  found  the  gale  was  almost  as  severe 
as  it  had  been  the  day  before,  and  we  dared  not 
venture  too  far  seaward.  As  darkness  came  on  we 
undertook  to  round  the  point  to  gain  the  leeward 
shore  of  the  peninsula  and  thus  be  protected  from 
the  force  of  the  wind. 

"I  was  at  the  helm  and  had  given  instructions 
to  my  companions,  who  were  all  alert  to  help,  to  haul 
down  most  of  the  canvas  before  we  attempted  to 
make  the  point.  They  were  busily  engaged  at  this 
when  we  glided  out  to  where  we  caught  the  full  force 
of  the  gale,  and  it  required  all  of  my  time  and  strength 
to  hold  her  off  the  point.  It  was  now  quite  dark 
and  it  was  impossible  to  distinguish  the  land.  The 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  217 

light  off  the  point  was  plainly  seen,  but  it  lay  so 
far  out,  to  mark  the  course  of  large  vessels,  I  dared 
not  attempt  to  round  it,  but  must  make  the  space 
between  it  and  land,  which  I  knew  was  ample,  but 
I  misjudged  the  distance  and  in  a  few  moments  we 
were  hard  aground  on  the  shoals  and  were  in  a  fair 
way  of  pounding  to  pieces. 

"Work  as  we  would,  she  was  immovable,  except 
to  plow  further  into  the  slimy  mud,  gravel  and 
oyster  shells  of  which  the  shoals  consisted.  We 
stripped  her  of  every  thread  of  canvas  after  trying 
to  right  her,  thinking  by  so  doing  she  would  hold 
together  for  the  night,  but  it  was  no  use.  We  saw 
that  she  was  doomed  and  prepared  to  leave  her  to 
her  fate. 

"We  could  hear  the  surf  breaking  off  to  port,  and 
knew  that  we  could  reach  land  easily,  so  when  she 
finally  rolled  over  on  her  side  and  her  hatches  went 
awash,  we  gathered  what  we  could  of  our  effects 
and  went  overboard.  I  do  not  know  how  my  com 
panions  fared  after  they  entered  the  water.  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  reaching  land,  for  after  being  hurled 
shoreward  by  the  waves  a  few  times,  I  found  that  I 
was  not  beyond  my  depth,  and  after  being  knocked 
down  and  almost  strangled  as  the  breakers  came  in, 
I  scrambled  ahead  and  finally  found  myself  beyond 
their  reach. 

"My  first  thoughts  were  for  the  safety  of  my  com 
panions,  and  I  called  to  see  if  I  could  locate  them. 
The  sound  of  my  voice  was  drowned  by  the  roar  of 
the  surf,  but  in  a  few  minutes  I  heard  a  voice  calling 
very  near  me,  and  it  proved  to  be  one  of  the  boys. 


218  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

It  was  no  time  for  congratulating  each  other  on  our 
escape,  so  we  set  to  work  to  try  and  locate  the  rest 
of  the  party.  One  by  one  we  heard  them  answer 
our  shouts,  and  as  each  came  in  they  aided  in  the 
search,  until  the  last  was  found.  None  seemed  any 
the  worse  for  their  experience,  and  as  we  were  wet 
and  chilled,  with  no  means  of  providing  a  fire,  we 
did  not  know  what  to  do,  so  we  decided  to  move  a 
little  way  back,  and  by  keeping  in  motion  dry  our 
clothes  as  best  we  could,  and  at  any  rate  keep  warm. 

"We  agreed  to  remain  until  morning  and  see  what 
condition  the  Magnolia  was  in  before  we  undertook 
to  work  our  way  back  along  the  peninsula  to  the 
mainland.  As  the  night  advanced,  I  could  hear  the 
groaning  of  the  timber  in  our  disabled  craft  as  it 
was  subjected  to  the  strain  of  the  storm,  and  I 
thought  of  what  I  had  done,  and  of  poor  old  Dad, 
and  I  knew  that  the  loss  of  the  yacht  would  not  hurt 
him  as  badly  as  my  actions.  I  called  my  best  boy 
hood  friends,  who  had  come  as  one  of  the  party,  off 
to  one  side  and  told  him  of  my  trouble,  of  how  I 
had  disregarded  Dad's  wishes,  and  confided  to  him 
that  if  the  Magnolia  proved  to  be  a  total  loss  in  the 
morning,  I  would  not  return  to  Dad,  and  gave  him 
a  message  to  deliver  to  him  saying  that  I  would  not 
return  or  write  until,  by  my  own  efforts,  I  could 
replace  the  yacht. 

"My  friends  tried  to  persuade  me  to  give  up  the 
idea,  as  such  action  would  but  add  to  Dad's  trouble. 
But  I  was  obdurate,  and  lest  I  be  persuaded  to 
abandon  my  purpose,  I  left  them  a  few  hours  after 
our  conversation  without  waiting  to  see  the  result  of 
the  wreck  that  had  been  caused  by  my  folly. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  219 

"After  leaving  my  friends  I  followed  the  ridge 
of  the  peninsula  back  to  the  mainland  and  continued 
to  walk  until  about  noon  the  next  day,  when  I  was 
forced  to  seek  rest,  as  I  was  completely  exhausted. 
When  I  reached  a  little  village,  I  purchased  a  flannel 
shirt  and  overalls,  and  my  identity  was  lost.  With 
the  funds  I  had  in  my  possession  and  the  check 
Dad  had  given  me,  I  managed  to  work  my  way  out 
here,  and  you  know  the  rest." 

Jack  Norton  had  not  been  interrupted  during 
the  time  he  was  telling  his  story.  His  hearers  sat 
deeply  interested,  but  when  he  reached  the  end  of 
his  narrative  it  brought  them  back  to  their  surround 
ings.  After  a  moment's  silence,  Jack's  father,  who 
had  been  seated  with  his  chair  tilted  back,  came 
down  with  a  crash,  and  seizing  Jack  by  the  hand 
exclaimed : 

"Why,  Jack,  the  'Magnolia*  was  not  hurt.  Your 
friends  brought  her  into  port  a  few  days  later  and 
she  is  now  as  good  as  ever." 

Young  Norton  was  dumfounded.  "How  did  they 
do  it?"  he  asked. 

"By  the  aid  of  some  fishermen  and  a  small  tug 
who  sighted  them  in  distress  the  following  morning. 
She  had  only  keeled  over  in  the  mud,  and  as  there 
were  no  rocks  upon  which  to  pound  she  hung  together 
and  they  soon  had  her  righted  and  under  sail.  So 
you  see,  my  boy,  you  have  had  all  this  suffering  for 
nothing,"  explained  his  father. 

"No,  not  altogether  for  nothing,  for  I  have 
learned  a  very  great  lesson;  not  to  jump  at  con- 


220  THE   LAND   OF  LURE 

elusions  and  to  abide  by  an  agreement;  and  besides," 
he  said,  smiling,  "I  have  acquired  'a  home  of  my  own 
and,"  stepping  over  to  Ida's  side  and  taking  her  by 
the  hand,  assisted  her  to  arise,  "Miss  Gully  has  done 
me  the  honor  to  promise  to  share  this  home  with 
me,  which  more  than  repays  me  for  my  sufferings. 
I  ask  but  one  other  favor  in  this  world,  and  that  is 
your  forgiveness  and  blessings,  Dad." 

It  was  now  Jack's  father's  turn  to  be  taken  by 
surprise,  but  he  was  too  old  a  diplomat  to  be  caught 
off  his  guard,  and  he  wanted  to  know  more  of  the 
step  his  son  was  contemplating  before  giving  it  his 
approval,  so  he  bowed  politely  to  Ida  and  answered: 
"As  for  my  forgiveness,  son,  you  have  it,  but  it 
would  be  strange  if  I  should  go  out  into  the  world 
to  look  for  a  lost  son  and  should  return  with  both 
a  son  and  daughter."  But  he  did  not  commit  himself. 

The  rest  of  the  party  who  had  heard  Jack's  story 
and  its  happy  ending  came  forward  to  congratulate 
he  and  Ida,  and  express  their  hopes  for  their  future. 

Travis  Gully  and  his  wife,  who  had  not  yet  been 
able  to  fully  understand  the  situation,  were  happy 
because  the  outcome  had  seemed  to  please  Jack,  and 
they  knew  that  after  the  strangers  had  gone  he 
would  tell  them  all  about  it  in  a  way  they  could 
understand. 

Mr.  Norton  arose  from  the  table  and  asked  Gully 
if  he  could  find  accommodations  for  the  driver  of 
his  car,  as  he  would  like  to  spend  the  night  with  his 
son  in  his  home  alone.  Mr.  Palmer,  he  said,  could 
take  the  other  car  and  the  rest  of  the  party  and 
return  to  the  village  and  await  his  coming. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  221 

Gully  said  that  he  thought  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  in  providing  for  him,  and  so  it  was  ar 
ranged.  Mr.  Palmer  and  Dugan,  with  the  three 
remaining  members  of  the  party,  who  proved  to  be 
some  friends  of  Mr.  Norton's  who  had  accompanied 
him  on  this  trip  with  the  view  to  investing  in  land, 
were  to  return  to  the  village  and  await  Mr.  Norton's 
coming. 

After  thanking  Travis  Gully  and  his  wife  for 
their  hospitality,  they  shook  hands  with  them  and  the 
young  people,  and  with  promises  to  see  them  again 
in  a  few  days,  left  for  the  village. 

Soon  after  their  departure,  Mr.  Norton  expressed 
a  desire  to  visit  Jack's  homestead. 

"All  right,  Dad,"  exclaimed  Jack,  "we  will  run 
over  there,  and  I  will  return  later  and  get  my  horse 
and  buggy." 

"I'll  take  care  of  them ;  you  go  with  your  father/' 
said  Gully. 

Jack  thanked  him  and  he  and  his  father  drove 
off  together.  Just  as  they  were  turning  from  the 
road  that  led  to  the  school  house  Jack  noticed  that 
Miss  Anderson  had  just  dismissed  school,  and  asked 
his  father's  permission  to  take  her  and  the  Gully 
children  home  in  the  car,  to  which  his  father  con 
sented.  Turning  back  into  the  road,  they  soon  met 
them,  and  as  the  car  was  turned  around  to  pick 
them  up,  Jack  called  to  Miss  Anderson  and  invited 
her  and  the  children  to  ride;  when  she  smilingly 
approached  the  car  and  before  she  could  express  her 
thanks,  Jack  introduced  his  father.  Miss  Anderson 
stopped  short,  and  her  bewildered  look  amused  Jack, 


222  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

who  had  stepped  out  to  assist  her  and  the  children 
to  enter  the  car.  . 

"Don't  ask  any  questions  now,"  said  he,  laughing. 

"But,"  she  began,  "I  do  not  understand." 

"Of  course  not,  but  Ida  will  tell  you  all  about 
it  when  you  get  home,"  answered  Jack. 

As  Miss  Anderson  entered  the  car  and  took  the 
seat  beside  him,  Mr.  Norton  remarked: 

"This  has  indeed  been  a  remarkable  day,  Miss 
Anderson;  a  day  of  wonders." 

The  children  were  assisted  into  the  car,  and 
Jack,  with  Joe  upon  his  knee,  sat  with  the  driver. 

After  they  had  been  taken  to  the  Gully  home, 
and  the  children  scrambled  out,  all  excitement  over 
their  first  auto  ride.  Miss  Anderson,  after  being 
assisted  from  the  car,  thanked  Mr.  Norton  and  ex 
pressed  the  hope  that  she  would  be  in  a  better  posi 
tion  on  the  morrow  to  discuss  with  him  the  impor 
tant  events  that  had  occurred.  "For  you  know,"  said 
she,  "I  am  still  in  the  dark." 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  223 


CHAPTER  XXL 

Jack  and  his  father  then  drove  to  his  claim,  and 
upon  their  arrival  there  dismissed  the  driver  with 
instructions  to  call  for  them  the  following  morning, 
and  Jack  added: 

"Please  tell  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gully  that  we  will  not 
be  over  to  either  supper  or  breakfast. 

After  the  driver  had  gone,  Jack  turned  to  his 
father  and  said:  "I  have  learned,  Dad,  that  one  of 
the  first  requisites  of  a  successful  farmer  is  the 
proper  care  of  his  stock,  so  if  you  will  accompany 
me,  I  will  care  for  mine  before  we  go  into  the 
house." 

Mr.  Norton  followed  Jack  as  he  went  about  his 
chores  and  noted  with  satisfaction  the  care  he  took 
in  the  performance  of  each  in  its  turn,  and  passed 
favorable  comments  on  the  appearance  of  Jack's 
horses,  their  comfortable  stables  and  abundance  of 
feed. 

Jack  was  proud  of  his  father's  interest  in  things, 
and  with  boyish  delight  showed  him  over  the  place. 

When  they  entered  Jack's  house,  the  old  gentleman 
was  in  an  excellent  mood,  and  had  been  joking  his 
son  about  his  prowess  as  a  homesteader.  He  viewed 
the  interior  with  a  quizzical  gaze  and  seemed  to 
locate  everything  at  a  glance.  He  removed  his  hat 
and  coat,  and  after  hanging  them  on  a  chair,  rolled 
up  his  sleeves  and  began  removing  the  lids  from  the 


224  THE   LAND    OF   LURE 

stove.  Jack  watched  him  for  a  moment,  then  took 
the  bucket  and  went  to  the  well.  When  he  returned, 
his  father  had  the  fire  going". 

"Pretty  quick  work,  Dad,"  he  said. 

"It's  not  the  first  time,  my  boy,"  his  father 
answered,  and  then  he  asked:  "Where's  the  coffee?" 

"In  the  box  on  the  wall;  I'll  get  it  in  a  minute," 
said  Jack.  But  his  minute  was  too  long,  for  his 
father  got  the  can  and  was  measuring  out  a  handful 
of  the  contents  before  Jack  finished  washing  his 
hands. 

Jack  watched  him  prepare  the  coffee,  after  which 
he  fried  some  bacon  and  eggs,  located  some  stale 
sourdough  bread,  and  taking  Jack's  table  cloth  from 
the  table,  set  the  dishes  on  the  bare  boards,  and 
setting  back  the  chairs,  pulled  up  a  bench  and  an 
empty  box,  and  looking  at  Jack  nodded  toward  the 
table  and  said: 

"Grub's  ready." 

"Comin'  up,"  answered  Jack.  "Want  some  butter?" 

"Nope,  not  with  bacon  grease,"  replied  the  old 
gentleman. 

After  they  sat  down  to  the  meal,  Mr.  Norton 
helped  himself  and  remarked:  "This  is  the  life." 
He  quaffed  the  steaming  coffee  with  a  relish,  and 
looking  across  the  table,  asked  suddenly: 

"How  about  the  girl,  Jack,  who  are  these  Gullys?" 

"I  don't  know,  Dad,"  replied  Jack  in  surprise. 
"I  never  saw  them  until  I  came  here,  but  they  are 
mighty  fine  people." 

"Naturally,"  said  his  father,  "but  what  makes 
you  think  so;  the  girl?" 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  225 

"Not  altogether,"  said  Jack,  "I  have  reasons  to 
know." 

"In  what  way?"  asked  his  father. 

"In  more  ways  than  one,"  was  Jack's  answer. 

"Specify,"  said  the  old  gentleman  bluntly. 

Then  Jack  told  his  father  of  his  first  meeting 
with  Gully,  of  how  he  had  sold  Gully  the  lumber  in 
his  shack  when  he  had  become  discouraged,  and  had 
then  accompanied  him  to  the  harvest  field,  of  how 
Gully  had  persuaded  him  to  return  and  try  once 
more,  which  he  had  done,  and  then  when  the  contract 
for  clearing  the  land  was  under  consideration,  Gully 
had  taken  him  in  on  it  and  been  the  means  of  giving 
him  a  start. 

He  explained  further  that  it  had  been  under 
Gully's  directions  that  he  had  accomplished  the  suc 
cess  he  had,  and  when  he  had  finished,  his  father 
asked : 

"Is  it  out  of  gratitude  for  all  this  kindness  that 
you  propose  to  marry  his  daughter?" 

"No,"  Jack  replied. 

"Don't  you  know,"  continued  his  father,  "that  in 
the  station  in  life  to  which  I  can  restore  you,  you 
can  have  your  choice  of  hundreds  of  young  ladies?" 

"This  is  my  station  in  life,"  replied  Jack,  "and 
the  best  thing  about  it,  Dad,  is  that  I  did  not  have 
to  have  you  put  me  here,  and  as  for  Ida,  she  does 
not  know  any  other  life,  and  I  hope  she  never  learns." 

"Is  this  Miss  Anderson  a  relative  of  theirs?" 
asked  his  father. 

"No;  just  a  friend  who  has  taught  this  little 
school  ever  since  I  came  here,"  answered  Jack. 


226  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

"A  very  able  teacher,"  commented  Mr.  Norton. 

"How  do  you  mean?"  queried  Jack. 

"This  Miss  Gully  did  not  acquire  her  genteel 
manner  from  her  parents,  did  she?  And  you  say 
this  is  the  only  life  she  has  ever  known,"  said  his 
father. 

"Miss  Anderson  has  taken  a  great  deal  of  interest 
in  Ida,"  said  Jack,  "and  she  learns  very  readily." 

"Will  you"  postpone  this  marriage  until  you  have 
made  final  proof  on  your  claim,  and  give  me  one 
year  of  your  life?"  asked  his  father. 

"No,  sir,"  Jack  answered. 

Burns  Norton  arose  from  the  table  and  began  to 
collect  the  soiled  dishes  and  pile  them  together,  and 
as  he  started  for  a  pan  in  which  to  wash  them,  Jack 
said:  "Let  them  go  until  morning,  Dad."  "All  right, 
we'll  go  to  bed  then,"  answered  the  old  gentleman, 
and  the  subject  of  the  Gullys  was  not  again  referred 
to  that  night. 

The  following  morning  after  Mr.  Norton  and 
Jack  had  eaten  their  breakfast  they  went  out  and 
walked  over  Jack's  claim. 

Mr.  Norton  asked  him  many  questions  about  the 
climatic  conditions  and  the  possible  future  of  the 
country.  Jack  answered  his  father  as  best  he  could, 
and  handed  him  the  paper  he  had  prepared,  giving 
an  account  of  his  experiences  and  observations,  ex 
plaining  to  him  that  he  had  assembled  the  data 
contained  therein  for  the  express  purpose  of  furnish 
ing  information  to  the  owners  of  the  land  he  and 
Mr.  Gully  had  cleared,  but  added  that  he  had  no 
idea  at  the  time  who  the  owner  would  prove  to  be. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  227 

Mr.  Norton  glanced  at  the  paper,  and  thanking 
Jack,  said  he  would  look  it  over.  He  took  specimens 
of  the  soil  and  told  Jack  if  things  looked  favorable 
he  would  arrange  to  have  wells  drilled  on  his  land 
before  returning  to  the  South. 

Jack  assured  his  father  that  he  would  make  no 
mistake  in  doing  so,  and  upon  hearing  the  auto  horn, 
they  turned  and  found  that  the  car  was  awaiting 
them  at  Jack's  house.  After  returning  and  arrang 
ing  things  for  the  day,  Mr.  Norton  asked  Jack  how 
much  time  it  would  require  to  run  over  to  his  land, 
as  he  wished  to  see  it  in  order  to  get  an  idea  of 
what  condition  it  was  in  and  what  improvements 
would  be  required. 

Jack  told  him  it  would  require  but  a  few  minutes, 
and  they  decided  to  go  before  returning  to  the  Gully 
home,  which  they  did,  and  while  there  Jack's  father 
said  to  him: 

"Jack,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  you  have  made 
up  your  mind  to  marry  this  Miss  Gully  and  remain 
on  your  property  here,  would  you  be  willing  to  take 
charge  of  my  interests?" 

"Why,  certainly,  Dad!"  Jack  replied.  "I  only 
wish  that  I  could  grant  your  request  to  accompany 
you  home  for  a  year,  but  I  am  afraid  I  could  not, 
in  justice  to  all,  do  so." 

Burns  Norton  turned  to  his  son  and  taking  him 
by  the  hand,  said: 

"I  respect  your  feelings  in  this  affair,  Jack,  and 
am  glad  that  you  gave  me  the  answer  that  you  did 
last  night,  for  I  feel  now  that  you  have  a  purpose  in 
life,  and  the  determination  to  see  it  through." 


228  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

Jack  simply  said  "Thank  you,  Dad,"  and  they 
returned  to  the  car  and  were  driven  directly  to  the 
Gully  home. 

It  being  Saturday,  there  was  no  school,  and  Miss 
Anderson,  who  had  remained  overnight  at  the  Gullys, 
had  not  yet  returned  home  when  they  arrived.  She 
had  been  told  of  the  occurrance  of  the  day  before, 
of  how  Jack  and  his  father  had  been  brought  so 
unexpectedly  together  and  the  circumstances  under 
which  they  had  been  separated,  and  when  Mr.  Norton 
and  Jack  entered  the  house  upon  their  arrival  she 
congratulated  them  on  the  happy  event  and  ex 
pressed  the  hope  that  Jack's  experience  had  taught 
him  to  confide  in  his  father  in  the  future. 

Jack  assured  her  that  there  would  be  no  danger 
of  a  recurrance,  as  it  would  take  him  the  rest  of 
his  life  in  his  effort  at  strict  obedience  to  atone  for 
what  he  had  done. 

Mrs.  Gully,  with  Miss  Anderson's  assistance,  had 
prepared  a  splendid  dinner,  which  they  told  Jack 
was  a  reunion  dinner,  gotten  up  especially  for  him 
and  his  father,  and  they  were  to  be  the  guests  of 
honor.  His  father,  they  told  him,  was  to  be  seated 
at  the  head  of  the  table  and  was  to  preside,  and 
Jack  was  instructed  that  when  dinner  was  announced 
he  was  to  escort  his  father  to  the  place  assigned  to 
him. 

When  dinner  time  arrived,  Jack  did  as  he  was 
bidden  and  after  they  were  all  seated,  he  told  his 
friends  of  how  his  father  had  played  the  typical 
bachelor  homesteader  while  his  guest  the  night  before, 
and  they  suggested  that  they  induce  him  to  erect  a 
shack  on  his  land  and  become  one  of  them. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  229 

They  laughed  heartily  at  Jack's  description  of 
his  father  as  a  cook,  and  agreed  with  him  that  it 
would  be  nice  if  he  would  stay. 

Mr.  Norton  thanked  them  for  their  invitation,  and 
said  that  nothing  would  suit  him  better,  as  he  was 
fascinated  with  their  country,  and  was  sure  that  it 
had  a  great  future ;  so  much  so,  he  added,  that  he  had 
determined  to  improve  his  holding,  and  would  prob 
ably  acquire  more. 

"But,"  he  continued,  "I  am  an  old  man,  and 
have  interests  in  other  parts  of  the  world  that  require 
my  attention,  so  I  cannot  remain  with  you.  But 
while  I  am  here  I  want  to  thank  you,  Mr.  Gully, 
and  your  estimable  wife  for  the  interest  you  have 
taken  in,  and  the  kindnesses  you  have  shown,  my 
son,  for  I  have  been  assured  by  him  that  it  has  been 
very  largely  due  to  your  action  and  assistance  that 
he  has  been  able  to  make  his  achievements  so  great. 

"He  has  also  told  me,  as  you  know,  of  the  honor 
your  daughter  has  bestowed  upon  him  by  promising 
to  become  his  wife.  This  knowledge  is  very  grati 
fying  to  me,  for  as  he  has  chosen  to  become  a  farmer, 
he  has  done  wisely  in  selecting  for  his  help  mate  one 
who  is  familiar  with  the  life  of  a  farmer,  and  at 
the  same  time  one  who  possesses  the  grace  and  beauty 
that  few  are  endowed  with.  I  am  proud  of  Jack's 
choice,  and  gladly  welcomje  her  as  my  daughter." 

"I  feel,"  he  continued,  "that  under  the  guiding 
care  of  such  worthy  people  as  you  and  Miss  Ander 
son,  who  Jack  tells  me  has  watched  with  patient  care 
the  shaping  of  their  destinies,  these  young  people 
have  nothing  to  fear  for  the  future. 


230  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

"In  a  few  days  I  shall  return  to  my  life,  and  I 
would  like  to  change  the  plans  of  these  young  people 
and  take  them  home  with  me  for  a  while.  It  is  but 
a  few  weeks  until  the  date  set  for  their  marriage, 
and  will  cause  but  little  inconvenience,  and  I  want 
them  with  me.  What  do  you  say,  Jack?"  he  asked. 

Jack  thought  for  a  moment  before  replying,  and 
then  arising,  he  thanked  his  father  for  what  he  had 
said  and  told  him  that  his  proposition  had  come  so 
unexpectedly  they  would  have  to  ask  time  to  talk  it 
over,  but  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  he  thought  it 
might  be  arranged. 

"Very  well/  said  his  father,  "let  me  know  as 
soon  as  you  have  made  up  your  minds,  and  I  will 
tell  you  my  plans." 

After  finishing  their  dinner,  Mr.  Norton  remarked 
that  he  supposed  he  ought  to  send  word  to  Mr. 
Palmer  and  the  other  members  of  the  party  that 
he  would  be  delayed  for  several  days,  and  give 
them  an  opportunity  to  come  out  and  inspect  the 
country  and  return  to  Spokane  with  the  cars,  if 
they  so  desired,  and  he  called  to  the  driver  of  the 
car  he  had  been  using  to  tell  him  of  his  wishes  and 
have  him  drive  to  the  village  with  his  message. 

As  the  driver  came  in  response  to  his  call,  Jack 
asked  his  father  if  he  would  let  him  deliver  his 
message. 

Mr.  Norton,  knowing  that  Jack  was  an  expert 
driver,  gave  his  consent  and  dismissed  the  driver, 
telling  him  that  young  Mr.  Norton  would  use  the 
car  during  the  afternoon,  and  turning  to  his  son, 
gave  him  the  message  to  deliver. 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  231 

Jack  listened  attentively  to  his  father's  instruc 
tions,  and  when  he  had  finished,  went  hurriedly  into 
the  house  calling  to  Ida  and  the  children  to  get 
their  wraps  and  prepare  for  a  ride  to  the  village  in 
the  auto.  The  children  eagerly  sought  their  mother's 
permission  to  accompany  Jack,  and  when  this  was 
given  seized  their  wraps  and  joined  Jack  at  the  car, 
where  he  and  the  driver  were  discussing  the  merits 
of  the  machine. 

Mr.  Norton  and  Travis  Gully  had  gone  to  the 
barn  and  were  inspecting  some  of  Gully's  fine  colts 
and  discussing  their  points,  a  subject  on  which 
Jack's  father  was  an  enthusiast.  Ida  was  accom 
panied  out  to  the  car  by  her  mother  and  Miss 
Anderson.  Jack  expressed  his  regrets  that  there 
was  not  sufficient  room  in  the  car  for  them  to  go 
also,  but  he  had  unthoughtedly  mentioned  the  trip 
to  the  children  first,  and  now  he  could  not  disappoint 
them. 

Mrs.  Gully  laughingly  replied  that  she  had  waited 
until  the  present  time  without  ever  having  ridden 
in  an  automobile,  and  she  did  not  suppose  that  she 
would  suffer  by  waiting  a  little  while  longer,  but 
she  added: 

"I  do  propose  to  have  you  give  me  a  ride  before 
the  car  is  taken  back  to  Spokane." 

Jack  promised  her  a  ride  the  following  day,  and 
after  assisting  Ida  and  the  children  in,  jumped  into 
the  driver's  seat,  and  just  as  he  was  starting  Miss 
Anderson  approached,  and  addressing  he  and  Ida. 
who  was  seated  by  his  side,  said: 


232  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

"Make  up  your  minds  about  your  father's  propo 
sition  to  accompany  him  home.  I  think  it  would  be 
just  simply  delightful  for  you  to  do  as  he  has  sug 
gested." 

"What  do  you  think,  mother?"  Jack  asked,  ad 
dressing  Mrs.  Gully. 

"Just  as  you  and  Ida  say,"  she  replied. 

"You  mean  just  as  Ida  says,"  Jack  corrected, 
and  laughly  added:  "I'm  in  with  Dad  on  the  propo 
sition." 

And  with  shouts  of  goodbye  and  with  much 
waving  of  caps  and  hands  they  started  for  the  village. 

Mrs.  Gully  and  Miss  Anderson  watched  them  for 
a  few  moments,  and  turning  to  go  back  into  the 
house,  Minnie  Gully  asked  Miss  Anderson  her  opinion 
of  the  early  marriage  of  Jack  and  Ida. 

"I  do  not  see  that  having  it  occur  a  few  weeks 
ahead  of  the  appointed  time  would  make  any  differ 
ence,  and  as  Mr.  Norton  seems  so  anxious  to  have 
them  accompany  him  home,  I  would  be  glad  to  see 
them  agree  to  his  proposition,  but  I  believe  I  would 
leave  the  matter  to  them  to  decide." 

Mrs.  Gully  agreed  with  her  and  added:  "As  we 
have  made  no  provisions  for  their  marriage  I  think 
should  they  decide  to  do  as  he  asks,  it  would  be  best 
to  allow  them  to  accompany  Mr.  Norton  to  Spokane 
and  have  the  ceremony  performed  there,  and  Ida 
be  given  an  opportunity  to  prepare  herself  for  the 
trip  home  with  him." 

"An  excellent  idea,"  answered  Miss  Anderson, 
"and  it  would  be  splendid  if  you  would  accompany 
them  as  far  as  Spokane,  be  present  at  the  marriage, 
and  assist  Ida  in  her  preparations." 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  233 

Minnie  Gully  thought  for  a  few  moments  before 
she  replied  to  Miss  Anderson's  suggestion  about  her 
going  and  finally  said: 

"How  about  Travis  and  the  children?  Who  would 
care  for  them  while  I  am  away." 

"Don't  worry  about  them;  the  other  girls  are 
plenty  old  enough  to  manage  things  for  the  few  days 
that  you  would  be  away;  and  besides,  I  will  be  home, 
and  I  can  come  and  assist  them." 

"Are  you  not  going?"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Gully,  in 
dismay. 

"I  had  not  thought  of  going,"  answered  Miss 
Anderson. 

"Well,  if  I  go  you  must  accompany  me,"  declared 
Mrs.  Gully  in  a  decisive  tone. 

"We  will  not  discuss  our  plans  until  we  have 
heard  from  Jack  and  Ida,"  Miss  Anderson  replied. 

In  the  meantime  Burns  Norton  and  Travis  Gully 
had  walked  down  into  the  alfalfa  field  and  had 
stopped  and  were  earnestly  discussing  the  future 
of  the  two  young  people.  Not  the  plans  for  their 
approaching  marriage,  but  of  the  bright  prospects 
of  this  beautiful  country  in  which  they  had  chosen 
to  make  their  start  in  life,  and  the  splendid  oppor 
tunities  it  afforded  as  compared  with  those  that  had 
been  given  to  them  when  they  were  their  ages. 

Jack  and  his  party  reached  the  village  in  a  very 
short  time — as  Joe  expressed  it,  "by  the  time  papa 
could  have  had  the  horses  hitched  to  the  wagon"  — 
and  upon  their  arrival  Jack  left  them  and  sought 
Mr.  Palmer,  to  whom  he  delivered  his  father's  mes 
sage.  Mr.  Dugan,  who  was  on  the  street  at  the 


234  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

time  and  had  seen  their  arrival,  was  at  the  car 
talking  to  Ida  when  Jack  returned,  and  after  greeting 
him  Jack  told  him  that  the  party  would  probably  be 
out  to  Mr.  Gully's  the  day  following,  and  he  was  par 
ticularly  anxious  to  have  him  come  out,  as  he  had 
a  matter  of  importance  to  discuss  with  him.  Dugan 
was  much  surprised  at  this  request  but  promised  to 
come. 

Jack  purchased  a  supply  of  candy  and  oranges 
for  the  noisy  youngsters,  and  they  returned  home 
after  making  a  detour  of  many  miles. 

It  was  almost  dark  when  the  auto  party  arrived 
home,  and  the  children  tumbled  out  of  the  car  and 
ran  into  the  house,  all  clamoring  to  tell  of  the  de 
lightful  time  they  had  enjoyed.  Ida  was  assisted 
from  the  car  by  Jack,  who  was  then  preparing  to 
drive  over  to  his  own  home  and  care  for  his  stock, 
when  he  was  told  by  the  driver  that  Mr.  Gully  and 
Mr.  Norton  had  driven  over  in  the  buggy  a  short 
time  before  to  look  after  things,  and  were  expected 
to  return  at  any  time.  Upon  hearing  this  Jack 
joined  the  ladies  in  the  house,  and  as  he  came  in,  he 
started  in  with  the  children  telling  of  their  wonderful 
ride,  but  seeing  the  inquisitive  look  on  the  faces  of 
Mrs.  Gully  and  Miss  Anderson  he  asked  them  if 
Ida  had  not  told  them  of  their  decision? 

They  replied  that  they  had  not  had  time  to  talk 
with  her  since  her  return. 

"Well,  we're  going  with  Dad,"  Jack  announced. 

"We  are  so  glad,"  declared  both  ladies.  "It  will 
be  such  a  delightful  trip  for  you  both." 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  235 

They  did  not  get  to  inquire  further  into  their 
plans,  as  Mr.  Norton  and  Gully  came  in  from  their 
trip  to  Jack's,  and  after  supper  was  eaten  Jack  and 
Ida  made  known  their  decision,  and  agreed  to  abide 
by  any  arrangements  their  parents  might  make  for 
their  marriage  and  the  trip. 


236  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  following-  day  Mr.  Norton's  companions  came 
out  from  the  village  and  the  entire  day,  although 
it  was  Sunday,  was  devoted  to  a  trip  over  the  ad 
joining  country,  where  the  party  was  given  an  excel 
lent  opportunity  to  judge  for  themselves  what  the 
country  was  like. 

They  expressed  themselves  as  being  favorably 
impressed  and  predicted  that  at  some  time  in  the  not 
very  far  distant  future  it  would  develop  into  a  great 
agricultural  and  stock  center. 

Mr.  Norton  and  Jack,  together  with  Travis  Gully, 
who  had  accompanied  them  on  their  tour  of  inspec 
tion,  were  brought  back  to  the  Gully  place  and  left, 
while  the  rest  of  the  party  continued  their  trip 
toward  Spokane,  where  they  expected  to  take  the 
train  for  their  homes. 

Burns  Norton,  after  telling  his  friends  of  his 
intention  of  having  Jack  and  Ida  hurry  their  mar 
riage  and  accompany  him  home,  explained  that  this 
would  probably  delay  his  return  for  a  week  or  ten 
days,  but  he  hoped  to  rejoin  them  at  the  end  of  this 
period  in  their  homes  in  the  south.  He  bade  them 
goodbye,  as  did  Jack  and  the  Gullys,  and  the  party 
continued  their  trip,  leaving  him  behind. 

As  for  Jack,  he  had  so  far  figured  out  the  details 
of  his  plans  for  the  wedding  that  he  had  persuaded 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  237 

Dugan  to  lay  over  in  Spokane  upon  his  arrival  there 
until  he  and  Ida  joined  him,  at  which  time  he  would 
have  Miss  Anderson  accompany  them,  and  he  wanted 
her  and  Dugan  to  attend  them  at  the  marriage. 
Dugan  agreed  to  this,  and  he  now  knew  what  the 
important  matter  was  of  which  Jack  wished  to  speak. 
Jack,  however,  had  said  nothing  of  this  arrangement, 
not  even  to  Miss  Anderson. 

For  the  next  few  days  Mrs.  Gully  and  Miss  Ander 
son's  time  was  taken  up  in  making  preparations  for 
Ida's  departure.  Old  Mr.  Norton  entered  a  protest 
against  any  preparations  whatever,  it  having  been 
decided  that  Mrs.  Gully's  plan  of  having  the  mar 
riage  take  place  in  Spokane  being  the  most  feasible, 
be  adopted,  and  she  and  Miss  Anderson  were  to 
accompany  Ida.  Mr.  Norton  insisted  that  all  the 
necessary  arrangements  could  be  made  after  their 
arrival  in  the  city. 

The  days  before  their  departure  were  not  only 
busy  days  for  the  ladies — the  men  too  had  all  they 
could  attend  to. 

Mr.  Norton,  after  seeing  the  effect  produced  by 
the  application  of  water  on  this  land,  and  realizing 
how  simple  a  matter  it  was  to  secure  the  necessary 
supply  from  the  inexhaustable  subterranean  reser 
voir  that  underlay  the  territory  that  constituted  the 
desert  area,  did  not  hesitate  to  invest  a  few  thou 
sand  dollars  in  bringing  about  the  reclamation  of 
his  land.  He  arranged  before  he  left  to  have  a  well 
and  pumping  plant  installed  on  each  forty  acres  of 
his  holdings. 


238  THE    LAND    OF   LURE 

Two  of  these  wells  were  to  be  drilled  during  the 
winter  that  the  work  of  developing  the  first  two 
units  of  his  project  might  start  early  the  following 
spring.  And  he  was  farsighted  enough  to  appre 
ciate  the  fact  that  when  these  two  units  were  brought 
into  a  state  of  productiveness  they  could  be  sold  in 
fractions  of  ten  acres  each,  which  was  sufficient 
land  to  keep  one  man  occupied  with  intensive  farm 
ing,  for  an  increased  value,  sufficient  to  pay  for  the 
reclamation  of  the  rest  of  his  land. 

This  work  he  arranged  for  Gully  to  attend  to 
until  Jack's  return,  when  they  would  both  be  busy 
looking  after  the  project. 

At  last  the  day  came  for  the  departure  of  the 
party  for  the  city,  and  all  were  ready  and  Ida  and 
her  mother  had  kissed  each  of  the  girls  and  Joe 
goodbye,  and  Jack  had  faithfully  promised  Joe  that 
they  would  have  an  automobile  when  he  returned, 
the  party,  consisting  of  Ida,  her  mother,  Miss  Ander 
son,  Jack  and  his  father,  were  driven  to  the  station 
by  Travis  Gully,  who  saw  them  off  on  their  trip 
and  returned  home  to  his  lonesome  children,  who 
had  never  been  left  by  their  mother  before. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  the  wedding  party  in  Spokane 
they  were  met  at  the  station  by  the  thoughtful 
Dugan,  who  Jack  had  advised  by  telegram  the 
time  of  their  departure  and  the  number  in  the  party, 
and  then  upon  seeing  Dugan  at  the  station,  had 
evidenced  as  much  surprise  as  the  rest. 

They  immediately  went  to  the  hotel,  where  Dugan 
had  engaged  apartments  for  them,  and  that  night 
Ida  and  her  mother  attended  the  theater  for  the  first 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  239 

time  in  their  lives.  Miss  Anderson,  being  escorted 
by  Dugan,  made  the  party  complete. 

Two  days  later  Jack  and  Ida  were  quietly  married 
in  the  parlor  of  the  hotel  where  they  had  been 
stopping  and  Mr.  Dugan  and  Miss  Anderson  were 
their  attendants,  just  as  Jack  had  planned.  A  few 
hours  afterward  they  were  on  their  way  to  Galveston 
under  the  care  of  Mr.  Norton  and  Dugan,  who 
occupied  the  smoking  compartment,  while  the  young 
couple  were  left  alone  to  assume  as  much  as  was 
possible  an  air  of  indifference  to  the  actions  of  their 
fellow  passengers,  who  had  in  some  mysterious  way 
discovered  the  fact  that  a  wedding  had  just  occurred, 
and  were  enjoying  themselves  at  the  young  couple's 
expense. 

Mrs.  Gully  and  Miss  Anderson  returned  to  their 
homes  the  following  day,  tired  but  happy  and  loaded 
down  with  trinkets,  both  useful  and  ornamental, 
which  Mr.  Norton,  Jack  and  Ida  had  entrusted  to 
their  care  for  distribution  among  the  family  as  a 
token  of  their  best  wishes. 

Short  messages  and  post  cards  mailed  along  the 
route  were  received  from  Jack  and  Ida  in  almost 
every  mail,  but  it  was  nearly  two  weeks  before  the 
first  real  letter  reached  the  home  folks.  They  had 
been  in  Galveston  for  several  days,  but  father  Norton 
had  kept  them  on  the  go  so  constantly  they  had  not 
had  time  to  write,  and  the  letter,  when  it  did  come, 
was  filled  with  accounts  of  their  many  trips  and 
delightful  time  they  were  having.  "Oh!  mamma," 
wrote  Ida.  "Just  think!  I  have  been  on  board  the 
'Magnolia,'  the  very  yacht  on  account  of  which  Jack 


240  THE   LAND   OF   LURE 

left  home.  There  was  some  paint  missing  from 
the  wheel,  and  Jack  told  me  it  was  where  he  had 
worn  it  off  in  -his  effort  to  keep  her  off  the  point, 
but  of  course  I  know  he  was  joking.  He  has  prom 
ised  me  a  trip  in  this  very  boat,  if  we  get  time,  but 
I  have  made  him  agree  to  call  the  regular  crew,  and 
I  mean  to  see  that  he  does  it  too."  Then  after  a  bit 
she  wrote:  "I  am  just  dying  for  one  breath  of  burn 
ing  sagebrush;  everything  here  smells  like  fish  or 
tar." 

These  letters  from  Jack  and  Ida  always  contained 
messages  of  love  to  Miss  Anderson,  who  received 
them  in  quiet  happiness,  as  if  her  life's  work  was 
completed  when  these  young  people  were  wedded. 

Just  a  while  after  the  Holidays  Ida  wrote:  "By 
the  time  you  receive  this  letter  we  will  have  started 
on  our  return  trip.  We  leave  here  for  New  Orleans 
and  from  there  we  go  to  Chicago,  and  Jack  has 
promised  me  one  whole  week  or  longer,  if  I  want 
it,  with  grandpa  and  grandma,  and  Jack  says  he  is 
going  to  bring  them  back  with  us." 

When  Minnie  Gully  received  this  letter  she  could 
hardly  content  herself,  and  immediately  wrote  to  her 
parents  notifying  them  of  the  coming  of  Jack  and 
Ida,  and  renewed  her  plea  for  them  to  come. 

Travis  Gully  was  progressing  nicely  with  the 
work  Mr.  Norton  had  arranged  for  him  to  have 
done,  and  the  first  well  was  almost  complete  when 
he  came  home  from  the  Norton  land  one  night  and 
had  just  finished  his  supper,  when  hearing  a  call  at 
the  gate,  he  went  out  and  was  handed  a  package 
of  mail  by  a  neighbor  who  was  returning  late  from 


ELLIOTT  SMITH  241 

the  village.  Going  into  the  house,  he  looked  over 
the  several  letters,  found  one  for  his  wife  from  Ida, 
and  handed  it  to  her,  saying:  "See  how  the  young 
sters  are." 

Minnie  Gully  took  the  letter,  and  looking  at  the 
address,  the  date  of  mailing,  and  then  carefully 
seeing  if  the  stamp  had  been  properly  cancelled,  just 
as  most  women  do  upon  receiving  a  letter,  opened 
it  and  read  from  Ida: 

"We  are  well  and  happy;  happy  because  we  leave 
here  tomorrow  on  the  final  stage  of  our  journey 
home.  And  listen  to  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you, 
mother — grandpa  and  grandma  are  coming  with 
us.  This  is  no  joke,  for  their  baggage  is  at  the 
depot  and  we  are  to  stay  at  the  hotel  tonight.  Jack 
said  to  please  ask  papa  to  meet  us  next  Wednesday." 

There  was  joy  in  that  desert  home  that  night. 
The  final  link  in  their  chain  of  happiness  was  being 
forged,  and  would  be  welded  the  following  Wed 
nesday. 

Travis  Gully  looked  up  and  remarked:  "Well, 
this  is  Monday  night;  day  after  tomorrow;  it  won't 
be  long.  It  will  soon  come." 

And  it  did.  Gully,  with  his  own  family,  met 
them  at  the  station  and  those  of  the  passengers  who 
witnessed  the  meeting  from  the  smoky  car  windows 
knew  that  happiness  reigned  in  that  little  desert 
village  for  a  time  at  least. 

The  following  fall  Mr.  Norton  and  Dugan  came 
back  to  attend  Gully's  making  of  final  proof  on  his 
claim,  at  which  time  he  proposed  to  celebrate.  Why 
Dugan  came  was  a  question  that  was  to  be  answered 


242  THE    LAND   OF   LURE 

later,  but  it  was  a  well  known  fact  that  Miss  Ander 
son  had  been  receiving  numerous  letters  that  bore 
a  Texas  postmark. 

Burns  Norton's  project  to  irrigate  one  entire 
section  of  this  desert  land  was  well  under  way,  and 
the  success  of  the  venture  was  so  well  assured  that 
he  had  received  many  flattering  offers  from  his 
capitalist  friends  who  had  accompanied  him  on  his 
former  trip,  to  purchase  an  interest  in  his  holdings. 
These  he  promptly  refused. 

But  the  credit  for  the  practical  demonstrations 
that  had  grounded  his  faith  in  the  future  of  the 
country  he  gave  to  Travis  and  Minnie  Gully,  the 
homesteaders. 


THE  END 


' 


